0 
0 

1    0 


0 

>5     Q 

2 


Wrewster 


POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 


THE  TWO  CARS  COLLIDED. 
Burin*,,  Vtntur,.  Frontispiece— (Page  99) 


POLLY'S 

BUSINESS  VENTURE 


BY 
LILLIAN  ELIZABETH  ROY 


Author  of 

POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT,  POLLY  AND  ELEANOR, 

POLLY  IN  NEW  YORK,  POLLY  AND 

HER  FRIENDS  ABROAD 


ILLUSTRATED  BY 

H.  S.  BARBOUR 


NEW  YORK 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 
PUBLISHERS 

Made  in  the  United  States  of  America 


COPYRIGHT,  1922,  BY 
GROSSET  &  DUNLAP 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  JAGE 

I  POLLY  RETURNS  TO  AMERICA  .     >;    >     .  1 

II  A  DISAPPOINTING  EVENING    .     .     >     .  18 

III  THE  ACCIDENT       .     .     .     .     >:    >     >  34 

IV  A  REUNION  AND  A  VISITOR    .     .     .     .  47 
V  THE  RAID  ON  CHORD'S  FIND  MINE  .     .  58 

VI  POLLY  AND  ELEANOR  BEGIN  COLLECTING  74 

VII  A  REVOLUTIONARY  RELIC  HUNT  ...  94 

VIII  ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  AT  COLLECTING  .     .  109 

IX  POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY     ....  127 

X  UNEXPECTED  NEWS  FROM  PEBBLY  PIT     .  151 

XI  POLLY'S  FIRST  CONTRACT  .     .     .     .     .  167 

XII  THE  PARSIPPANY  VENDUE     .     .     >•     .  182 

XIII  TOM  MEANS  BUSINESS      .     .     x    K    -.  199 

XIV  NECESSARY  EXPLANATIONS      .     >:    >i    •••  213 
XV  MUTUAL  CONSOLATIONS    .     .     >-    >-     .  231 

XVI  BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS     .     .     >:    w    E    >:  250 

XVII  BUSINESS                .     .     .    M    M    ,=.    :.  269 


2088146 


POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 


POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

CHAPTER  I 

POLLY  RETURNS  TO  AMERICA 

FIVE  girls  were  promenading  the  deck  of  one 
of  our  great  Atlantic  liners,  on  the  last  day  of  the 
trip.  The  report  had  gone  out  that  they  might 
expect  to  reach  quarantine  before  five  o'clock,  but 
it  would  be  too  late  to  dock  that  night,  therefore 
the  captain  had  planned  an  evening's  entertain- 
ment for  all  on  board. 

"Miss  Brewster!  Miss  Polly  Brewster  i 
Polly  Brewster!"  came  a  call  from  one  of  the 
young  boys  of  the  crew  who  was  acting  as  mes- 
senger for  the  wireless  operator. 

"Polly,  he  is  calling  you !  I  wonder  what  it 
is?"  cried  Eleanor  Maynard,  Polly's  dearest 
friend. 

"Here,  boy!  I  am  Polly  Brewster,"  called 
Polly,  waving  her  hand  to  call  his  attention  to 
herself. 

x 


2        POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Miss  Polly  Brewster?"  asked  the  uniformed 
attendant  politely,  lifting  his  cap. 

"Yes." 

He  handed  her  an  envelope  such  as  the  wireless 
messages  are  delivered  in,  and  bowed  to  take  his 
leave  of  the  group  of  girls.  Polly  gazed  at  the 
outside  of  the  envelope  but  did  not  open  it.  Her 
friends  laughed  and,  Nancy  Fabian,  the  oldest  girl 
of  the  five,  said  teasingly: 

"Isn't  it  delicious  to  worry  one's  self  over  who 
could  have  sent  us  a  welcome,  when  we  might 
know  for  certain,  if  we  would  but  act  prosaically 
and  open  the  seal." 

The  girls  laughed,  and  Eleanor  remarked, 
knowingly:  "Oh,  Polly  knows  who  it  is  from! 
She  just  wants  to  enjoy  a  few  extra  thrills  before 
she  reads  the  message." 

"Nolla,  I  do  not  know,  and  you  know  it  I 
You  always  make  'a  mountain  from  a  mole-hill.' 
I  declare,  you  are  actually  growing  to  be  child- 
ish in  your  old  age!"  retorted  Polly,  sarcas- 
tically. 

Her  latter  remark  drew  forth  a  peal  of  laughter 
from  the  girls,  Eleanor  included.  But  Polly 
failed  to  join  in  the  laugh.  She  cast  a  wither- 
ing glance  at  Eleanor,  and  walked  aside  to  open 
the  envelope.  The  four  interested  girls  watched 


POLLY  RETURNS  3 

her    eagerly    as    she    read    the    short    message. 

Polly  would  have  given  half  of  her  mine  on 
Grizzly  Slide,  to  have  controlled  her  expression. 
But  the  very  knowledge  that  the  four  friends  were 
critically  eyeing  her,  made  her  flush  uncomfort- 
ably as  she  folded  up  the  paper  again,  and  slipped 
it  in  her  pocket. 

"Ha!  What  did  I  tell  you!  It  is  from 
HIM!"  declared  Eleanor,  laughingly. 

Dorothy  Alexander  was  duly  impressed,  for  she 
had  firmly  believed,  hitherto,  that  Polly  was  a 
man-hater.  The  manner  in  which  she  had 
scorned  Jimmy  Osgood  on  that  tour  of  England 
would  have  led  anyone  to  believe  that  such  was  the 
case.  Now  the  tell-tale  blush  and  Eleanor's 
innuendo,  caused  Dorothy  to  reconsider  her 
earlier  judgment. 

Polly  curled  her  full  red  lip  at  Eleanor's  re- 
mark, and  was  about  to  speak  of  something  of 
general  interest,  when  Dorothy  unexpectedly 
asked  a  (to  her)  pertinent  question. 

"Polly,  has  anyone  ever  proposed  to  you?" 

Eleanor  laughed  softly  to  herself,  and  Polly 
sent  poor  Dodo  a  pitying  glance.  "Is  that  little 
head  of  yours  entirely  void  of  memory,  Dodo?" 
said  she. 

Then,  without  waiting  for  a  reply,  Polly  con- 


4        POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

tinued:  "Did  not  Jimmy  propose  to  me,  as  well 
as  to  everyone  of  you  girls?" 

"Oh,  but  I  didn't  mean  that  sort  of  an  affair," 
explained  Dorothy.  "I  mean — were  you  ever  in 
love  with  anyone  who  thought  he  loved  you?" 

"Oh,  isn't  this  a  delightful  conversation?  I 
wouldn't  have  missed  it  for  anything  in  the 
world !"  laughed  Eleanor. 

"Nolla,"  rebuked  Polly,  seriously,  "your  head 
has  been  so  turned  since  all  those  poor  fortune- 
hunters  in  Europe  flattered  you,  that  I  fear  you 
will  never  succeed  in  business  with  me.  I  shall 
have  to  find  someone  else  who  will  prove  trust- 
worthy and  work." 

Polly's  threat  did  not  appear  to  disturb  Eleanor 
Very  much,  for  she  laughed  merrily  and  retorted : 
"Dodo,  if  I  answer  your  question  for  Polly,  what 
will  you  do  for  me,  some  day?" 

"Nolla,  you  mind  your  own  affairs!"  exclaimed 
Polly,  flushing  again.  "Dodo  is  such  a  tactless 
child  that  she  never  stops  to  consider  whether  her 
questions  are  too  personal,  or  not.  But  you — 
well,  you  know  better,  and  I  forbid  you  to  discuss 
me  any  further." 

"Come,  come,  girls!  This  little  joke  is  really 
going  too  far,  if  Polly  feels  hurt  about  it.  Let 
us  drop  the  subject  and  talk  about  the  dance  the 


POLLY  RETURNS  5 

Captain  is  going  to  give  us  to-night,"  suggested 
Nancy. 

"I'm  going  to  wear  the  new  gown  mother  got 
in  Paris,"  announced  Dorothy.  "Ma  says  we  can 
save  duty  on  it  if  I  wear  it  before  it  reaches 
shore." 

The  other  girls  laughed,  and  Eleanor  added: 
"That's  a  good  plan,  Dodo.  I  guess  I  will  follow 
your  example.  I've  got  so  many  dutiable  things 
in  my  trunks,  that  I  really  ought  to  economise  on 
something." 

"Well,  I  won't  wear  one  of  my  new  dresses  to- 
night for  just  that  reason.  If  I  want  them  badly 
enough,  to  bring  them  all  the  way  from  Paris 
where  we  get  them  so  much  cheaper  than  on  this 
side,  then  I'm  willing  to  pay  Uncle  Sam  his  reve- 
nue on  them,"  said  Polly,  loftily. 

"Ho !  I  don't  believe  it  is  duty  you  are  sav- 
ing, as  much  as  indulging  in  perverseness  by  not 
donning  one  of  your  most  fetching  gowns,"  de- 
clared Eleanor. 

"Maybe  it  is,"  said  Polly,  smiling  tantalizingly 
at  her  chum.  "Perhaps  I  want  to  keep  the  fresh- 
ness of  them  for  someone  in  New  York,  eh?" 

"Certainly!  He  will  be  there  to  meet  you, 
sure  thing!"  laughed  Eleanor. 

At  that,  Dorothy  drew  Eleanor  aside  and,  when 


6        POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Polly  was  not  looking,  whispered  eagerly:     "Do 
tell  me  who  he  is?" 

But  Eleanor  laughingly  shook  her  head  and 
whispered  back:  "I  dare  not!  That  is  Polly's 
secret!" 

But  she  did  not  add  for  Dorothy's  edification, 
that  try  as  she  would,  she  (Eleanor)  had  never 
been  able  to  make  Polly  confess  whether  she  pre- 
ferred one  swain  to  another.  As  Eleanor  con- 
sidered this  a  weakness  in  her  own  powers  of  per- 
suasion, she  neVer  allowed  anyone  to  question  her 
that  far. 

Had  anyone  of  the  four  girls  dreamed  of  who 
the  sender  of  the  wireless  was,  what  a  buzzing 
there  would  have  been !  EleanorMaynard  would 
have  been  so  pleased  at  the  possibility  of  a  ro- 
mance, that  she  would  have  acted  even  more  tan- 
talizing, in  Polly's  opinion,  than  she  had  been  of 
late  months. 

Perhaps  you  are  not  as  well  acquainted  with 
Polly  and  her  friends,  however,  as  I  am,  and  it 
would  be  unkind  to  continue  their  experiences  for 
your  entertainment,  until  after  you  are  duly  in- 
formed of  how  Polly  happened  to  leave  her  home 
in  Oak  Creek  and  also  what  had  passed  during 
the  Summer  in  Europe. 

Polly  Brewster  was  born   and   reared   on   a 


POLLY  RETURNS  7 

Rocky  Mountain  ranch,  in  Colorado,  and  had  un- 
til her  fourteenth  year,  never  been  farther  from 
her  home  than  Oak  Creek,  which  was  the  railroad 
station  and  post  office  of  the  many  ranchers  of 
that  section. 

Eleanor  Maynard,  the  younger  daughter  of 
Mr.  Maynard  who  was  a  prosperous  banker  of 
Chicago,  accompanied  her  sister  Barbara  and 
Anne  Stewart,  the  teacher,  when  they  spent  a  sum- 
mer on  the  ranch.  Their  thrilling  adventures  dur- 
ing the  first  half  of  that  summer  are  told  in  the 
book  called  "Polly  of  Pebbly  Pit,"  the  first  volume 
of  this  series. 

After  the  discovery  of  the  gold  mine  on  Grizzly 
Slide,  and  the  subsequent  troubles  with  the  claim- 
jumpers,  Polly  and  her  friends  sent  for  John 
Brewster  who  was  engaged  to  Anne  Stewart,  and 
Tom  Latimer,  John's  best  friend,  to  leave  their 
engineering  work  on  some  mines,  for  the  time  be- 
ing, and  hasten  to  Pebbly  Pit  to  advise  about  the 
gold  mine,  and  to  take  action  to  protect  the  girls. 
These  experiences  are  told  in  the  second  volume 
of  this  series. 

Success  being  assured  in  the  mining  plans  of  the 
gold  vein  on  Grizzly  Slide,  and  the  valuable  lava 
cliffs  located  on  Pebbly  Pit  ranch  also  finding  a 
market  as  brilliant  gems  for  use  in  jewelry,  Polly 


8        POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

and  Eleanor  decided  to  accompany  Anne  Stewart 
to  New  York,  where  she  was  going  to  teach  in  an 
exclusive  school  for  young  ladies. 

In  the  third  book,  Polly  and  Eleanor's  adven- 
tures in  New  York  are  told.  Their  school-ex- 
periences; the  amateur  theatricals  at  which  Polly 
saved  a  girl  from  the  fire,  and  thus  found  some 
splendid  friends;  and  the  new  acquaintance,  Ruth 
Ashby,  who  was  the  only  child  of  the  Ashbys. 
They  also  met  Mr.  Fabian  in  a  most  unusual 
manner,  and  through  him,  they  became  interested 
in  Interior  Decorating,  to  study  it  as  a  profes- 
sion. When  the  school-year  ended,  all  these 
friends  invited  the  two  girls  to  join  their  party 
that  was  planned  to  tour  Europe  and  visit  noted 
places  where  antiques  are  exhibited. 

The  following  fourth  book  describes  the  amus- 
ing incidents  of  the  three  girls  on  board  the 
steamer,  after  they  meet  the  Alexanders.  Mrs. 
Alexander,  the  gorgeously-plumed  ranch-woman; 
Dorothy,  always  known  as  "Dodo,"  the  restive 
girl  of  Polly's  own  age;  and  little  Ebeneezer  Alex- 
ander, too  meek  and  self-effacing  to  deny  his 
spouse  anything,  but  always  providing  the  funds 
for  her  caprices.  This  present  caprice,  of  rush- 
ing to  Europe  to  find  a  "tide"  for  Dodo  to  marry, 


POLLY  RETURNS  9 

was  the  latest  and  hardest  of  all  for  him  to  agree 
to. 

Because  of  Mrs.  Alexander's  whim,  the 
ludicrous  experiences  that  came  upon  the  innocent 
heads  of  Polly  and  her  friends,  in  the  tour  of 
England  in  two  motor  cars,  decided  them  to  es- 
cape from  that  lady,  and  run  away  to  Paris.  Be- 
fore they  could  sigh  in  relief  at  their  freedom, 
however,  the  Alexanders  loomed  again  on  their 
horizon. 

Plan  as  they  would,  the  badgered  tourists  found 
that  Mrs.  Alexander  had  annexed  herself  per- 
manently to  them.  They  resigned  themselves  to 
the  inevitable.  But  that  carried  with  it  more 
ridiculous  affairs,  when  Mrs.  Alexander  plotted 
for  the  titles  found  dangling  before  her,  in  vari- 
ous places  on  the  Continent. 

One  good  result  came  from  this  association 
with  the  Alexanders:  Dodo  found  how  fascinat- 
ing the  work  of  collecting  really  was,  and  de- 
cided to  study  decorating  as  an  art.  Hence  she 
spurned  her  mother's  ambitions  for  her,  and  an- 
nounced her  plan  of  remaining  in  New  York  with 
the  girls,  upon  their  return  to  America,  to  follow 
in  their  line  of  study. 

Mrs.  Alexander  felt  quite  satisfied  to  live  in 


10 


POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 


New  York  for  a  season,  as  she  fancied  it  an  easy 
matter  to  forge  a  way  into  good  society  there. 
But  her  spouse  detested  large  cities  and  longed 
for  his  mining  life  once  more,  but  agreed  to  it 
because  Dodo  was  delighted  with  the  opportunity 
opened  before  her,  in  the  profession  of  decora- 
tor. 

Polly's  party  on  board  the  steamer  consisted 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ashby  and  Ruth;  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fabian  and  Nancy;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Alex- 
ander and  Dodo;  and  lastly,  Polly  Brewster  and 
Eleanor  Maynard. 

Just  a  word  about  the  last  two  girls:  Polly 
knew  that  Eleanor  was  fond  of  Paul  Stewart  since 
she  met  him  a  few  years  before.  And  Eleanor 
wondered  if  Polly  preferred  Tom  Latimer  to  any 
other  young  man  she  knew;  but  Polly  always  de- 
clared that  she  was  married  to  her  profession  and 
had  no  time  to  spare  for  beaus.  Hence  Tom 
Latimer  sighed  and  hoped  that  she  might  change 
her  mind  some  day. 

Meantime,  Tom  lost  no  good  opportunity  to 
show  how  he  appreciated  Polly  and,  whenever 
possible,  he  managed  to  perform  the  little  deeds 
that  mean  so  much  to  a  woman — especially  if  that 
woman  is  young  and  impressionable.  Thus  he 
actually  made  better  headway  in  his  silent  cam- 


POLLY  RETURNS  n 

paign  for  Polly,  by  never  broaching  the  subject  of 
love — from  which  she  would  have  fled  instantly 
and  then  barred  the  doors  of  her  heart. 

The  wireless  received  by  Polly  was  from  Tom 
who  had  been  anxiously  awaiting  the  time  when 
he  could  communicate  with  the  vessel.  The  con- 
tents of  the  message  could  have  been  read  to  all 
the  world  without  exciting  comment — it  was  so 
brotherly.  But  Polly  felt  that  it  was  a  private 
welcome  to  her  and  so  it  was  not  to  be  shared 
with  others. 

The  wireless  said  that  Tom  and  Polly's  dear 
friends  who  were  in  New  York,  had  been  invited 
on  board  Mr.  Dalken's  yacht,  to  visit  the  quaran- 
tined steamer  that  evening.  That  they  would  ar- 
rive about  eight  o'clock,  having  secured  passes 
from  the  Inspector  at  Quarantine. 

Although  this  explanation  about  Polly  and  her 
associates  took  time  for  us,  it  did  not  interrupt 
the  lively  banter  between  the  five  girls.  Dorothy 
was  now  certain  that  Polly  had  a  real  beau,  some- 
where, and  being  so  very  candid  and  talkative  her- 
self, she  admired  the  reticence  displayed  by  Polly 
in  keeping  the  affairs  of  her  heart  to  herself. 

Dodo  whispered  back  to  Eleanor :  "Dear  me ! 
I  hope  he  is  worthy  of  her.  She  ought  to  have 
the  finest  husband  in  the  world." 


12 


POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 


Eleanor  laughed.  "Don't  worry,  Dodo.  She 
will.  If  he  was  not  meant  for  Polly,  I'd  try  and 
get  him  for  myself — that  is  how  much  I  admire 

him." 

"Oh  my!  Won't  you  tell  me  something  about 
him,  Nolla?"  asked  Dorothy,  eagerly. 

"I  really  don't  dare,  Dodo,"  returned  Eleanor, 
assuming  a  wise  expression.  "Polly  would  drop 
me  forever,  if  she  thought  I  confided  in  anyone 
about  her  love-affairs.  Besides,  you  can  find  out 
everything  for  yourself,  now  that  you  are  going 
to  remain  with  us,  this  winter.  Still,  I  would  love 
to  know  just  who  that  wireless  came  from." 
Eleanor  added  the  latter  remark  after  a  moment's 
deep  consideration. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  we  can  do,"  ventured 
Dorothy,  in  a  whisper.  "We  have  often  visited 
the  wireless  room;  let's  you  and  I  go  there  again, 
and  start  a  friendly  chat  with  the  operator. 
Maybe  he  will  speak  of  the  message." 

Without  stopping  to  think  whether  this  method 
would  be  principled  or  not,  Eleanor  eagerly 
agreed  to  Dorothy's  plan.  While  Polly  and 
Nancy  were  discussing  the  beautiful  hazy  picture 
made  by  New  York's  sky-line  as  seen  from  the 
Harbor  at  Quarantine,  Dorothy  and  Eleanor 
hurried  to  the  wireless  room. 


POLLY  RETURNS  13 

The  young  man  had  often  been  entertained  by 
the  girls  during  the  trip  from  Europe,  so  this 
visit  was  not  suspected  of  having  a  secret  motive 
back  of  it.  He  chatted  pleasantly  with  his  callers 
and,  after  a  time,  spoke  of  the  very  topic  they 
wished  to  hear  about. 

"I  suppose  you  girls  will  all  be  on  the  qui  vive 
this  evening?" 

"Yes,  it  is  awfully  nice  of  the  captain,  isn't  it?" 
said  Eleanor,  referring  to  the  dance  and  think- 
ing that  the  operator  also  meant  that  event. 

"Oh,  I  do  not  think  the  captain  had  as  much 
to  do  with  the  invitation  as  had  the  Inspector 
General  of  the  Quarantine.  Of  course  we  have 
a  clean  bill  for  the  ship  or  no  one  would  have  been 
allowed  to  step  on  board  tonight;  but  at  the  same 
time  your  friends  must  have  had  a  good  hard  time 
to  get  the  invitation  from  the  authorities.  Only 
a  New  Yorker  who  understands  the  ropes,  could 
have  managed  the  matter  so  quickly." 

Dorothy  was  about  to  ask  what  he  was  talking 
about,  when  Eleanor  pinched  her  arm  for  silence. 
Then  the  latter  spoke :  "Oh  yes !  He  is  a  won- 
der— we  think!" 

Dorothy  gasped  at  Eleanor,  and  the  smiling 
girl  winked  secretly  at  her.  The  operator  had 
not  seen  the  pinch  nor  the  wink,  but  he  continued 


i4      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

guilelessly:  "Well,  from  what  I've  seen  of  Miss 
Polly,  only  a  'wonder'  would  cause  her  to  notice 
hima'tall!" 

He  laughed  at  his  own  words  and  Eleanor 
joined  him,  even  though  she  failed  to  see  a  joke. 
Then  she  said:  "Polly  could  have  so  many  ad- 
mirers, but  she  never  looks  at  a  man.  Perhaps 
that  is  why  all  you  males  sigh  so  broken-heartedly 
at  her  heels." 

The  young  man  laughed  softly  to  himself. 
"Maybe !  But  this  Tom'  seems  to  feel  assured 
of  a  'look'  from  her." 

Now  it  was  Dorothy's  turn  to  pinch  Eleanor, 
and  she  did  so  with  great  gusto.  Eleanor  winced 
but  dared  not  express  herself  in  any  other  man- 
ner, just  then.  She  was  too  keen  on  the  trail  of 
learning  what  she  could,  to  signify  any  sense  of 
having  felt  that  pinch. 

"Oh — Tom!  He  is  an  old  family  friend,  you 
know.  He  was  Polly's  brother's  college-chum 
for  four  years  while  both  boys  studied  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago.  I  am  from  Chicago,  and  I 
knew  those  boys  when  they  used  to  come  to  my 
home  with  my  brother,  who  also  attended  the 
enginering  classes.  There  was  a  fourth  boy — 
Paul  Stewart,  who  was  from  Denver.  Anne 
Stewart  was  his  sister  and  she  married  John 


POLLY  RETURNS  15 

Brewster,  this  Spring.  So  you  see,  we  are  all  old 
friends  together.  I  suppose  the  whole  family 
crowd  will  come  out  on  the  yacht,  tonight." 

Dorothy  listened  in  sheer  amazement,  as 
Eleanor  spoke  with  all  the  assurance  possible. 
But  Dorothy  was  not  aware  of  Eleanor's  life- 
long training  in  the  home  of  a  social  leader  of 
Chicago's  exclusive  set.  That  such  a  home- 
training  made  a  girl  precocious  and  subtle,  was 
not  strange,  and  Eleanor  had  had  fourteen  years 
of  such  a  life  before  she  went  to  Pebbly  Pit  and 
met  Polly.  Habits  so  well-engrounded  are  not 
easily  broken,  or  forgotten. 

"Then  the  sender  ought  to  have  sent  his  mes- 
sage to  one  of  the  adults  of  the  party.  Even  / 
misjudged  the  matter,  because  I  thought  this 
'Tom'  must  be  a  faithful  admirer  of  Miss  Polly's 
to  get  through  to  visit  the  steamer  tonight,"  ex- 
plained the  operator. 

"But  he  isn't  coming  alone — didn't  you  stop 
to  consider  that?"  asked  Eleanor,  eagerly.  "See- 
ing that  most  of  the  friends  are  Polly's  personal 
ones,  the  wire  was  sent  to  her,  you  know." 

"I  see." 

"The  only  thing  that  hurt  me,  was  that  no  one 
sent  me  a  message.  Tom  is  as  dear  to  me  as  to 
Polly,  and  I  wonder  he  did  not  wire  me." 


1 6      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Perhaps  this  Tom  thought  you  would  have 
scores  of  eager  messages  the  moment  your  beaus 
knew  you  were  near  enough  to  get  them,"  laughed 
the  young  officer. 

"Well,  they  didn't!  But  I  want  you  to  do 
something  for  me — will  you?"  asked  Eleanor, 
quite  unexpectedly. 

"I  will  if  I  can,"  agreed  the  officer. 

"Write  off  a  fake  message  for  me  and  sign 
some  make-believe  name  to  it,  so  I  can  hold  my 
head  up  with  Polly.  She  will  never  let  me  rest 
if  she  thinks  she  got  a  line,  and  I  didn't!" 

"Oh,  that  is  easy  to  do.  As  long  as  we  know 
it  will  never  come  out,  and  that  I  wrote  a  line  to 
you,  it  will  be  a  good  joke." 

"All  right!"  laughed  Eleanor,  delightedly. 

"Now  write: "  She  stopped  suddenly,  then 

thought  for  a  moment  before  she  said:  "Why 
not  copy  the  exact  words  sent  to  Polly,  but  sign 
another  name?" 

"I'll  write  one,  as  much  like  the  original  as 
possible  without  actually  duplicating  that  informa- 
tion," chuckled  the  officer. 

Then  he  took  up  a  slip  of  paper  and  wrote: 
"Miss  Eleanor  Maynard.  We  will  join  you  this 
evening,  on  steamer.  Yacht  will  arrive  about 


POLLY  RETURNS  17 

eight."  He  looked  up  laughingly  and  asked: 
"Now  what  name  shall  we  sign  to  this?" 

"Oh — let  me  see!  Sign  'Paul.'  I  know  he  is 
in  New  York,  now,  so  I  am  not  taking  chances  of 
making  a  mistake,"  laughed  Eleanor. 

The  name  "Paul"  was  added  to  the  message 
and  the  paper  placed  in  an  envelope.  This  was 
addressed  to  Eleanor  Maynard  and  her  state- 
room number  written  down  upon  it.  Then  it  was 
handed  to  the  gratified  girl. 

The  young  man  was  thanked  with  unwarranted 
warmth,  and  the  two  girls  hastened  away. 


CHAPTER  II 

A  DISAPPOINTING   EVENING 

ELEANOR  and  Dorothy  did  not  join  their 
friends  at  once,  after  leaving  the  wireless  room. 
Eleanor  explained  wisely :  "We  must  promenade 
along  the  deck  and  let  them  see  us  reading  and 
talking  over  the  message,  you  know,  to  make  them 
believe  we  just  got  it  from  the  boy." 

So  this  little  act  was  carried  out,  and  when 
the  two  girls  felt  sure  that  Polly  and  her  com- 
panions had  noticed  them  reading  the  wireless 
message,  Eleanor  whispered:  "Now  we  can 
stroll  over  and  join  them.  Leave  it  to  me." 

Just  before  she  joined  her  friends,  Eleanor 
thrust  the  paper  into  her  sweater  pocket,  and 
seemed  not  to  remember  it.  But  Nancy  spoke 
of  it,  immediately. 

"T  see  you  received  a  billet-doux,  too.  Is  there 
any  reason  why  I  should  not  say  to  you  exactly 
what  you  said  to  Polly,  when  she  got  hers?" 
laughed  the  young  lady. 

18 


A  DISAPPOINTING  EVENING       19 

"Oh,  not  at  all!  I  am  not  so  bashful  about 
my  affair,"  retorted  Eleanor,  taking  the  paper 
from  her  pocket  and  handing  it  to  Nancy.  "You 
may  read  it  aloud,  if  you  choose." 

So  Nancy  read,  and  the  fact  that  the  words 
conveyed  the  same  information  as  Polly's  had 
done,  but  the  sender  had  signed  himself  "Paul," 
made  Polly  feel  relieved.  Then  she  said: 

"It  is  evident  that  someone  secured  a  yacht  to 
carry  our  friends  out  to  see  us  this  evening.  My 
message  said  about  the  same  thing,  so  now,  you 
see,  it  was  ridiculous  in  Eleanor  to  tease  about  it 
being  a  love-note.  Had  she  been  sensible  I  would 
have  read  it  aloud  to  all,  but  because  of  her  silli- 
ness, I  made  up  my  mind  to  keep  her  guessing." 

Nancy  and  Ruth  laughed,  but  Eleanor  and 
Dorothy  exchanged  glances  with  each  other. 
Then  Nancy  said  anxiously:  "We  ought  to  start 
and  dress  most  fetchingly  for  tonight,  if  everyone 
you  know  is  coming  out." 

Before  anyone  could  reply  to  this  suggestion, 
Mr.  Fabian  was  seen  hurrying  across  the  deck 
to  join  them.  "Girls,  our  old  friend  Dalken  has 
a  yacht,  I  hear,  and  he  has  invited  everyone  we 
know  to  come  out  here  this  evening  to  welcome 
us  home.  We  are  to  be  ready  to  return  with  him, 
as  he  has  secured  the  necessary  bill-of-health  for 


20      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

us.  Now  get  down  to  your  rooms  quickly  and 
pack." 

"Oh — aren't  we  going  to  remain  to  the  dance?" 
asked  Eleanor,  with  disappointment  in  her  tones. 

"You  can  do  as  you  please  about  that,  but  we 
will  go  back  on  the  yacht  when  she  returns  to 
the  city." 

In  the  bustle  of  packing  the  state-room  trunks, 
and  then  dressing  for  the  evening,  the  girls  for- 
got about  the  wireless  messages.  Then  during 
the  dinner  that  was  like  a  party  affair  because  of 
the  passengers'  exuberant  spirits  at  being  so  near 
home  again,  Mr.  Fabian  smiled  approvingly  at 
the  five  young  girls  in  his  charge.  They  looked 
so  charming  in  their  Paris  gowns,  and  their  youth- 
ful forms  and  faces  expressed  such  joy  and  pleas- 
ure in  living,  that  he  felt  gratified  to  think  the 
old  friends  would  see  them  as  he  did  that  eve- 
ning. 

Shortly  after  leaving  the  dining-salon,  the  at- 
tention of  the  Fabian  party  was  drawn  to  a  grace- 
ful white  yacht  that  sailed  swiftly  down  the  Bay 
and  soon  came  alongside  the  steamer.  The  spot- 
less looking  sailors  instantly  lowered  the  boat  and 
a  party  of  young  people  got  in.  The  Fabian 
group  leaned  over  the  rail  of  the  steamer  and 
watched  breathlessly  as  the  boat  was  rowed  across 


A  DISAPPOINTING  EVENING       21 

the  intervening  space  and,  finally,  was  made  fast 
to  the  steamer. 

"Poll,  did  you  recognize  your  future  Fate?" 
giggled  Eleanor,  nudging  her  companion, 
knowingly. 

"I  saw  yours!"  retorted  Polly.  "And  now  I 
comprehend  why  you  can  speak  of  nothing  else 
than  beaus  and  Fate !  You  are  so  obsessed  by 
your  own  dreams  that  you  think  everyone  you 
know  must  be  dreaming  the  same  stuff!" 

Polly  turned  quickly  and  hurried  to  the  spot 
where  the  visitors  were  being  greeted  by  Mr.  Fa- 
bian, and  the  other  girls,  laughing  at  the  repartee, 
followed.  In  the  first  group  to  arrive  were  Tom 
Latimer  and  his  younger  brother  Jim;  Kenneth 
Evans,  Jim's  chum;  Paul  Stewart;  and  John 
Brewster  with  Anne,  his  bride. 

Happy  welcomes  were  exchanged  between 
everyone,  but  Polly  purposely  avoided  any  extra 
favor  being  shown  Tom  Latimer,  although  he 
looked  as  if  he  deserved  it  more  than  Jim  and  his 
friend  Kenneth.  Eleanor  quite  openly  showed 
her  preference  for  Paul,  when  they  separated 
from  the  others  for  the  evening. 

"Where  is  Mr.  Dalken  and  the  others?"  asked 
Polly,  gazing  around  at  the  small  group  that  had 
arrived  on  board. 


22      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"The  boat  is  going  back  for  the  second  install- 
ment," explained  Anne,  keeping  an  arm  about 
Polly's  waist.  "We-all  were  too  impatient  to  see 
you  to  accept  the  suggestion  of  waiting  for  the 
second  trip,  so  the  older  ones  sent  us  off  first." 

To  Polly's  surprise  and  joy,  the  second  boat- 
load brought  her  father  and  mother,  Mrs. 
Stewart,  the  Latimers,  the  Evans,  and  Mr. 
Dalken,  the  owner  of  the  yacht.  When  the  fam- 
ily circle  was  complete,  on  board  the  steamer, 
they  proved  to  be  a  happy  party,  and  many  of 
the  passengers  wished  they  were  included  in  that 
merry  group. 

The  steamer  rolled  gently  with  the  swells  from 
the  ocean,  while  the  full  moon  shone  mistily 
through  a  fog  that  veiled  its  brightness  enough  to 
add  romance  to  the  meeting  of  the  various  young 
people  on  deck.  Eleanor  and  Paul  had  been  gen- 
uinely delighted  to  see  each  other  again,  and 
neither  cared  who  knew  just  how  much  they  liked 
each  other. 

Polly  watched  them  for  a  time,  then  smiled  as 
they  walked  away  to  discover  a  cozy  retreat  be- 
hind one  of  the  giant  smoke-stacks,  where  they 
could  enjoy  a  tete-a-tete  without  interruption. 
When  she  turned  to  hear  what  her  brother  John 


23 

was  saying,  she  found  Tom  Latimer  just  at  her 
elbow. 

"Suppose  we  find  a  nice  sheltered  spot  where 
you  can  tell  me  all  about  your  trip  abroad?"  sug- 
gested Tom,  his  eyes  speaking  too  plainly  how 
anxious  he  was  to  get  Polly  away  from  the  others. 

"Oh,  I'd  far  rather  be  with  the  crowd  and  hear 
all  that  is  being  said,"  said  Polly,  nervously. 

"Very  well,  then,"  said  Tom,  moodily.  "I  only 
thought  you'd  like  to  hear  all  about  Grizzly  Slide 
and  how  it's  been  cutting  up  this  summer.  The 
gold  mine  has  had  several  adventurers  trying  to 
jump  the  claim,  too;  and  Rainbow  Cliffs  has  had 
an  injunction  served  on  it  so  that  we  are  tied  up 
by  law,  this  year." 

"So  mother  wrote  to  me.  But  I  don't  want  to 
hear  about  troubles  and  business  tonight.  I  just 
want  to  enjoy  myself  after  coming  home  to  all  the 
dear  folks,"  said  Polly. 

Tom  was  too  unsophisticated  with  girls,  al- 
though he  was  so  popular  with  men,  to  make  al- 
lowance for  the  contrary  spirit  that  often  sways 
a  girl  when  she  wishes  to  make  a  good  impres- 
sion; so  he  sulked  and  followed  at  Polly's  heels 
when  she  hurried  after  her  friends. 

Mr.  Dalken  turned  just  now,  and  saw  the  girl 


24      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

running  as  if  to  get  away  from  Tom,  and  he  un- 
derstood, fairly  well,  just  how  matters  were.  So 
he  endeavored  to  calm  Polly's  perturbed  spirit 
and  encourage  Tom's  "faint  heart"  at  the  same 
time. 

"Well,  Polly  dear,"  said  he,  placing  an  arm 
about  her  shoulders,  "now  that  you  have  seen 
many  of  the  wonder-spots  of  Europe,  and  know 
more  about  antiques  and  art  than  any  of  us,  I 
suppose  you  are  quite  decided  that  business  is  not 
your  forte,  eh?  The  next  thing  I'll  hear  from 
you,  you'll  have  dropped  your  ambitions  and 
be  sailing  down  a  love-stream  to  a  snug  harbor." 

"Indeed  not!  You  ought  to  know  me  better 
than  that,  Mr.  Dalken,"  declared  Polly,  vehe- 
mently, causing  her  companions  to  laugh.  "I 
am  more  determined  than  ever,  since  seeing  such 
wonderful  things  in  Europe,  to  devote  my  life 
to  my  chosen  profession.  Why,  the  marvellous 
objects  I  saw  in  Europe,  used  in  interior  decorating 
in  centuries  past,  enthuse  me  anew.  I  wonder 
that  anyone  can  keep  from  studying  this  fascinat- 
ing art  where  there  is  such  a  broad  field  of  work 
and  interest." 

Polly's  mother  and  father  listened  to  their 
daughter,  with  adoration  plainly  expressed  on 


A  DISAPPOINTING  EVENING       25 

their  faces,  and  Tom  had  to  grit  his  teeth  to  keep 
from  swearing,  because  of  what  he  considered 
their  influence  over  Polly  in,  this,  her  foolish  in- 
fatuation for  a  business  when  she  ought  to  be  in 
love  with  him. 

When  Mr.  Dalken  saw  that  he  had  launched  a 
dangerous  subject  for  Polly  and  Tom,  he  had  a 
bright  idea.  So  he  acted  upon  it  instantly.  He 
excused  himself  from  his  friends'  circle,  and 
sought  the  Captain.  In  a  short  time  thereafter, 
the  passengers  heard  the  band  playing  dance 
music,  and  immediately,  most  of  the  younger  set 
hurpied  to  the  Grand  Salon. 

It  was  second  nature  with  Polly  to  dance,  and 
she  did  so  with  as  much  grace  as  she  rode  her 
father's  thoroughbred  horses  on  the  ranch;  or 
hiked  the  Rockies,  over  boulders  and  down-tim- 
ber like  a  fawn.  Kenneth  Evans,  the  youngest 
man  in  the  party  from  the  city,  was  by  far  the 
handsomest  one  in  the  group ;  and  when  he  guided 
Polly  through  the  maze  of  dancers,  they  both  at- 
tracted much  attention. 

Tom  stood  and  sulked  while  he  watched  Polly 
dance,  but  he  refused  to  dance  himself,  although 
he  was  considered  a  most  desirable  partner  by 
any  one  who  had  ever  danced  with  him.  Eleanor 


26      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

was  having  such  a  thoroughly  good  time  while 
dancing  with  Paul,  that  she  forgot  about  the  ro- 
mances and  lovers'  quarrels  of  others. 

The  moment  Kenneth  escorted  Polly  to  a  chair 
and  stood  fanning  her,  Tom  pushed  a  way  over 
to  them  and  said,  quite  assuredly:  "The  next 
dance  is  mine,  Polly." 

"Why,  I  never  told  you  so,  at  all!"  exclaimed 
Polly,  annoyed  at  Tom's  tone  and  manner. 
"How  do  you  know  there  will  be  another  one?" 

Tom  flushed  and  sent  Kenneth  an  angry  glance, 
although  poor  Ken  was  innocent  of  any  guile  in 
this  case. 

"If  you  do  not  care  to  dance  with  me,  Polly, 
say  so,  and  I'll  go  to  the  smoking-room  and  enjoy 
the  companionship  of  men  who  appreciate  me," 
retorted  Tom,  impatiently. 

The  imp  of  resistance  took  instant  possession 
of  Polly,  and  she  said:  "Tom,  there's  where  you 
belong — with  men  who  want  to  talk  about  work 
and  money.  You  are  too  old  to  enjoy  youthful 
follies  as  I  do." 

Tom  had  been  dreaming  of  this  meeting  with 
Polly  again,  for  so  long,  that  now  everything 
seemed  shattered  for  him.  He  felt  so  injured 
at  her  mention  of  his  age  in  comparison  with  her 
own,  that  he  said  nothing  more,  but  turned  on 


A  DISAPPOINTING  EVENING       27 

his  heel  and  marched  away  without  a  backward 
glance.  His  very  foot-falls  spoke  of  his  feelings. 

Polly  turned  to  Kenneth  and  resumed  her 
laughing  banter,  and  he  thought  she  was  glad  to 
rid  herself  of  Tom's  company.  He  felt  puzzled, 
too,  because  Tom  Latimer,  in  his  estimation,  was 
everything  noble  and  manly.  But  Kenneth  was 
inexperienced  with  girls'  subtleties.  Had  Eleanor 
been  present  she  would  have  understood  perfectly, 
how  matters  were. 

After  this  incident,  Polly  danced  every  dance 
with  a  gayety  of  manner  that  she  did  not  truly 
feel.  Some  of  the  joy  of  that  party  was  lacking, 
but  she  would  not  question  the  cause  of  it. 

Tom  went  directly  to  the  smoking-room  where 
he  sat  down  to  brood  over  his  misery.  He  never 
filled  his  pipe,  but  sat  lost  in  thought  until  a 
friendly  voice  at  his  elbow  said:  "Well,  old 
pard!  Anne  says  you  are  to  come  with  me.  She 
has  a  word  to  say.  She  is  a  wizard,  too,  so  you'd 
best  obey  without  question." 

Tom  looked  up  and  saw  John.  "Can  Anne 
help  me  in  the  planning  of  the  legal  defence  of 
those  lava-cliffs  at  Pebbly  Pit?"  Tom  demanded 
of  his  friend. 

John  smiled  knowingly.  "I'll  admit  you're  not 
smoking,  even  though  you  rushed  to  a  sanctum 


28       POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

protected  from  girls'  invasion;  and  you  are  not 
thinking  of  lava  or  injunctions,  just  now.  You're 
pitying  yourself  for  what  you  consider  shabby 
treatment,  while  all  the  time  Anne  can  see  that 
your  evening's  disappointment  is  your  own 
fault." 

Tom  weakened.  "For  goodness'  sake,  tell 
Anne  to  advise  me  what  to  do,  if  she  knows  every 
cure." 

"Come  on  and  have  a  talk  with  her.  She  is  just 
outside,  waiting  for  us,"  coaxed  John,  placing  his 
arm  in  that  of  his  friend's,  and  gently  forcing  him 
out  of  the  room. 

When  Tom  met  Anne's  sympathetic  eyes,  he 
confessed.  "Anne,  what's  the  matter  with  Polly? 
She  doesn't  seem  to  know  I  am  on  earth.  Did 
you  watch  her  enjoy  that  dance  with  a  kid  like 
Ken,  and  then  snub  me  outright  when  I  asked  her 
to  dance  the  next  one  with  me?" 

"I  don't  know  what  she  did,  Tom,  but  let  me 
give  you  a  bit  of  sensible  advice  about  Polly. 
John  thinks  I  am  right  in  this,  too,  don't  you, 
dear?"  Wise  Anne  Brewster  turned  anxiously  to 
John  for  his  opinion. 

"Yes,  Tom,  Anne  is  a  wonder  in  such  -things. 
You  listen  to  her,  old  man,"  agreed  John. 

Tom  sighed  heavily  and  signified  his  willing- 


A  DISAPPOINTING  EVENING       29 

ness  to  listen  to  anything  that  would  end  his  heart- 
ache. Both  his  companions  smiled  as  if  they 
deemed  this  case  an  everyday  matter. 

"Tom,  you  are  morbid  from  over-work  at  the 
mines,"  began  Anne.  "Remember  this,  Polly  has 
been  on  the  go  in  Europe  all  summer,  seeing  first 
one  interesting  thing  after  another,  and  not  giving 
a  single  thought  to  you,  or  anyone,  on  this  side 
the  water.  She  sneered  at  anyone  who  tried  to 
flatter  her,  or  pretended  to  make  love  to  her, 
while  in  Europe,  and  only  cared  for  art  during 
that  tour  which  meant  so  much  to  her. 

"You  ought  to  be  thankful  that  she  took  this 
attitude,  and  returned  home  heart-whole.  What 
would  you  have  done,  had  she.  fallen  in  love  with 
an  attractive  young  man  with  a  title?  But  she 
was  too  sensible  for  that.  She  returns  home  with 
her  mind  still  filled  with  the  wonderful  things  she 
saw  abroad,  and  eager  to  tell  everyone  she  knows 
all  about  her  trip.  Naturally,  she  never  gives  a 
thought  to  a  lover,  or  a  future  husband.  She  is 
too  young  for  that  sort  of  thing,  anyway,  and  her 
family  would  discourage  anyone  who  suggested 
such  ideas  to  her.  We  want  her  to  continue  her 
studies  and  find  joy  and  satisfaction  in  her  work, 
until  she  is  twenty-one,  at  least,  and  then  she  can 
consider  matrimony. 


30      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"You  know,  Tom,  that  we  all  favor  you  im- 
mensely, as  a  future  husband  for  Polly,  but  we 
certainly  would  discountenance  any  advances  you 
might  make  right  now,  to  turn  Polly's  thoughts 
from  sensible  work  and  endeavor,  to  a  state  of 
discontent  caused  by  the  dreams  of  young  love. 
If  you  are  not  willing  to  be  a  good  friend  to  the 
girl,  now,  and  wait  until  she  is  older,  before  you 
show  your  intentions,  then  I  will  certainly  do  my 
utmost  to  keep  Polly  out  of  your  way.  But  if, 
on  the  other  hand,  you  promise  to  guard  your 
expression  and  behavior,  and  only  treat  Polly  as 
a  good  brother  might,  then  we  will  do  everything 
in  our  power  to  protect  Polly  from  any  other  ad- 
mirers and  to  further  your  interests  as  best  we 
can.  Do  you  understand,  now?" 

Tom  had  listened  thoughtfully,  and  when  Anne 
concluded,  he  said:  "If  I  thought  I  had  a  chance 
in  the  end,  I  would  gladly  wait  a  thousand  years 
for  Polly!" 

"Well,  you  won't  have  to  do  that,"  laughed 
Anne.  "In  a  few  years,  at  the  most,  Polly  will 
want  to  get  out  of  business,  and  settle  down  like 
other  girls — to  a  slave  of  a  husband  and  a  lovely 
home  of  her  own  that  she  can  decorate  and  enjoy 
to  her  heart's  content." 

Tom  brightened  up  visibly  at  such  alluring  p»c- 


A  DISAPPOINTING  EVENING      3« 

tures,  and  promised  to  do  exactly  as  Anne  ad- 
vised him  to. 

"If  Polly  pays  no  attention  to  you  now,  re- 
member it  is  because  she  is  different  from  most 
girls  you  have  known.  She  was  brought  up  at 
Pebbly  Pit  ranch  without  any  young  companions, 
until  we  went  there  that  summer.  She  had  a 
yearning  for  the  beautiful  in  £rt  and  other  things, 
but  never  had  the  slightest  opportunity  in  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  to  further  her  ideals.  The 
only  education  she  had  had  in  the  great  and  beau- 
tiful, was  when  she  was  riding  the  peaks  and  could 
study  Nature  in  her  grandest  works. 

"Can  you  blame  her,  then,  because  she  revels 
in  her  studies  and  has  no  other  desire,  at  present, 
than  that  of  reaching  a  plane  where  she  can  in- 
dulge her  talent  and  ideals?  Can't  you  see  that 
a  youthful  marriage  to  Polly,  now  seems  like  a 
sacrifice  of  all  she  considers  worth  while  in  life?" 

Tom  nodded  understandingly  as  he  listened  to 
Anne.  And  John  added:  "I  told  you  Anne  had 
the  right  idea  of  this  affair!  Polly's  absolutely 
safe,  for  a  few  years,  from  all  love-tangles.  And 
when  she  begins  to  weary  of  hard  work  and  dis- 
appointments in  business,  then  is  your  chance  to 
show  her  a  different  life." 

"But,  Tom,"  quickly  added  Anne,  "do  not  give 


32      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Polly  the  opportunity,  again,  to  suspect  you  of 
lover-like  intentions.  Be  a  first-class  brother  to 
her,  and  let  her  wonder  if  she  has  any  further  in- 
terest in  you.  Never  show  your  trump  card  to  a 
girl." 

Both  men  laughed  at  this  sage  advice,  and  John 
nodded  smilingly:  "Anne  ought  to  know,  Tom. 
That  was  the  way  she  got  me." 

Anne  was  about  to  answer  teasingly,  when  Mr. 
Dalken  came  up  and  said:  "I've  been  hunting 
you  three  everywhere.  Hurry  and  get  your 
wraps,  as  the  yacht  is  waiting  to  return  to  the 
City." 

The  trio  then  learned  that  passes  had  been 
granted  the  members  in  Mr.  Fabian's  party,  to 
leave  the  steamer  that  night  and  go  back  with 
their  friends,  on  the  yacht.  So  the  cabin  baggage 
had  been  brought  up  to  the  gang-way,  and  when 
Mr.  Dalken  summoned  John  and  his  companions 
to  come  and  help  the  girls  get  away,  the  boats 
were  already  on  their  way  to  the  yacht  with  the 
luggage. 

Many  of  their  fellow-passengers  crowded  about 
the  party  when  they  were  ready  to  go.  Good-bys 
were  exchanged  and  the  happy  bevy  of  young 
folks  left.  Then  the  boat  returned  for  the  older 
members  in  the  party,  and  soon  the  yacht  was 


A  DISAPPOINTING  EVENING       33 

ready  to  fly  back  to  her  dock,  up  the  River,  near 
72nd  street.  But  the  thick  haze  that  had  made 
the  moon  look  so  romantic,  developed  into  an  im- 
penetrable fog.  And  anyone  who  has  ever  expe- 
rienced such  a  fog  hanging  over  New  York  Har- 
bor, knows  what  it  is  to  try  to  go  through  it. 

So  the  vessel  had  not  traveled  past  the  Statue 
of  Liberty,  before  the  heavy  pall  of  fog  suddenly 
dropped  silently  over  the  Bay,  and  anything 
farther  than  a  few  feet  away  from  the  radius  of 
the  electric  lights  on  the  boat,  was  completely 
hidden. 

The  Captain  bawled  forth  orders  to  the  crew 
and  instantly  the  uniformed  men  were  running 
back  and  forth  to  carry  out  the  instructions.  Be- 
fore all  impetus  to  the  yacht  was  closed  downt 
however,  the  engines  had  driven  her  into  the  route 
generally  used  by  the  pilots  of  the  boats  running 
to  Staten  Island. 

Captain  Johnson  anxiously  studied  his  chart  but 
could  not  gauge  his  position  exactly,  because  of 
the  dense  fog  and  the  lack  of  signals.  In  a  few 
minutes  more,  every  fog-horn  in  the  Bay  and  all 
the  great  reflectors  from  guiding  lights  from  bell- 
buoys  would  be  in  full  operation.  But  at  the 
time,  there  was  nothing  to  tell  him  that  he  was 
in  a  dangerous  zone. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE   ACCIDENT 

WHEN  the  party  reached  the  yacht,  Mr. 
Dalken  said  that  chairs  had  been  placed  on  the 
forward  deck  where  they  could  sit  and  watch  the 
scenes  at  night,  as  they  sailed  up  to  the  City.  So 
all  but  Tom  and  Polly,  went  forward  and  found 
comfortable  seats.  Tom  had  asked  Polly  to 
stroll  about  with  him,  and  she,  feeling  guilty  of 
neglecting  such  an  old  friend  when  on  the  steamer, 
consented. 

Thus  it  happened  that  Tom  led  her  to  the  side 
of  the  craft  where  they  had  climbed  the  ladder 
to  the  deck,  as  this  side  was  in  shadow  and  far- 
thest from  the  group  of  friends  who  were  seated 
on  the  forward  deck. 

But  they  had  not  promenaded  up  and  down 
many  times,  before  the  Captain  gave  anxious 
commands  to  his  crew.  Every  man  jumped  to 
obey,  instantly,  while  Tom  and  Polly  halted  in 

34 


THE  ACCIDENT  35 

their  walk  just  at  the  gap  in  the  rail,  where  the 
adjustable  ladder  had  been  lowered  to  the  boat 
when  the  passengers  arrived  from  the  steamer. 
The  steps  had  been  hauled  in  but  the  sailor  had 
forgotten  to  replace  the  sliding  rail.  In  the  dense 
fog  this  neglect  had  been  over-looked. 

Immediately  following  the  Captain's  shouts,  a 
great  hulk  loomed  up  right  beside  the  yacht,  and 
a  fearful  blow  to  the  rear  end  of  the  pleasure 
craft,  sent  her  flying  diagonally  out  of  her  path, 
across  the  water.  The  collision  made  her  nose 
dip  down  dangerously  while  the  stern  rose  up 
clear  of  the  waves. 

The  group  seated  forwards,  slid  together,  and 
some  were  thrown  from  their  chairs,  but  managed 
to  catch  hold  of  the  ropes  and  rail  to  prevent  be- 
ing thrown  overboard. 

Polly  and  Tom,  standing,  unaware,  so  near  the 
open  gap  in  the  rail,  still  arm  in  arm  as  they  had 
been  walking,  were  thrown  violently  side-ways 
and  there  being  nothing  at  hand  to  hold  to,  or  to 
prevent  their  going  over  the  side,  they  fell  into 
the  dark  sea. 

Feeling  as  if  the  earth  had  dropped  from  under 
her,  Polly  screamed  in  terror  before  her  voice 
was  choked  with  water.  Tom  instinctively  held 
on  to  her  arm,  as  he  had  been  doing  when  the  im- 


36      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

pact  of  a  larger  vessel  came  upon  the  yacht,  and 
he  maintained  this  grip  as  they  both  sank. 

Polly  had  always  dreaded  water,  because  it 
seemed  so  unfamiliar  to  her.  After  living  in  the 
mountains  with  only  narrow  roaring  streams,  or 
the  glacial  lakes  found  in  the  Rockies,  she  had 
never  tried  to  swim  in  the  ocean,  but  preferred 
swimming  in  a  pool.  Consequently,  this  sudden 
dive  into  the  awesome  black  abyss  so  frightened 
her,  that  she  fainted  before  she  could  fight  or 
struggle. 

But  Tom  Latimer  was?  an  expert  swimmer, 
having  won  several  medals  while  at  College,  for 
his  continued  swimming  under  water.  At  one 
time  during  his  first  college  days,  he  had  saved 
the  lives  of  some  young  folks  when  their  canoe 
capsized  a  long  distance  from  shore.  In  this  su- 
preme test  of  ability  and  presence  of  mind,  with 
the  girl  he  loved,  in  his  arms  to  save,  Tom  was 
as  self-possessed  as  if  on  deck  with  Polly. 

In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell,  both  victims 
of  the  collision  sank  until  the  natural  fight  be- 
tween the  weight  of  the  water  and  the  force  of 
the  air  in  their  lungs,  sent  them  up  again  to  the 
surface.  In  that  short  time,  Tom  used  every 
muscle  and  physical  power  to  swim  far  enough 
under  the  water  to  clear  away  from  the  boats 


THE  ACCIDENT  37 

which  might  do  them  more  harm  than  the  water. 

Fortunately  he  found  the  surface  free  when 
he  rose  for  breath,  and  finding  no  resistance  from 
the  unconscious  form  he  held,  he  managed  to 
change  his  grip  from  her  arm  to  a  firm  hold  under 
the  shoulders.  In  this  position  he  could  manage 
to  keep  Polly's  head  above  water,  and  at  the  same 
time,  could  swim  backwards,  by  using  his  feet  as 
propellers. 

The  only  handicap  he  now  had,  was  his  cloth- 
ing and  shoes;  these  interfered  with  his  free  ac- 
tion in  swimming  so  he  managed  to  kick  of  his 
dancing  pumps.  The  greatest  danger  he  feared, 
was  the  sudden  coming  of  some  craft  that  would 
compel  him  to  dive  again,  or  might  even  run  them 
down,  unseen  in  the  dark. 

But  the  very  fog  that  had  caused  this  accident, 
also  befriended  them  now,  as  no  wary  seaman 
would  recklessly  go  on  his  way  in  such  a  bewilder- 
ing mist,  and  the  majority  preferred  waiting  for 
a  temporary  lifting  of  the  blanket,  before  con- 
tinuing their  journeys. 

Tom  felt  no  concern  over  the  fact  that  Polly 
had  fainted  or  had  been  in  the  water  for  a  time, 
for  he  knew  she  was  so  healthy  that  no  ill  would 
occur  to  her  from  such  causes.  All  he  feared 
now,  was  his  power  of  endurance  to  keep  floating 


38       POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

until  some  craft  might  pick  them  up,  or  he  could 
reach  a  temporary  rest. 

Suddenly  he  felt  a  sweeping  current  whirl  him 
about  and  in  another  moment,  he  was  swimming 
rapidly  with  instead  of  against  the  tide  in  the 
Bay.  He  realized  that  in  that  short  time  the  tide 
had  turned,  either  about  some  point  of  land,  or 
in  the  River.  He  began  to  tread  water  while  he 
tried  to  lift  his  head  and  gaze  across  the  waves. 
Then  a  broad  shaft  of  dazzling  light  shot  across 
the  Bay  from  a  nearby  reflector.  At  the  same 
time  Tom  heard  the  tolling  of  a  bell-buoy,  not 
Very  far  distant. 

He  changed  his  course  that  the  outgoing  tide 
would  assist  him  in  reaching  this  light  that  might 
be  coming  from  a  ship,  or  maybe,  from  an  island 
in  the  Bay.  As  his  powerful  strokes  carried  him 
along,  the  sound  of  the  bell-buoy  seemed  to  come 
so  plainly  that  he  felt  sure  it  was  not  far  away. 
If  he  could  but  hang  on  to  it  for  a  time,  in  order 
to  gain  second  wind! 

Suddenly  there  was  a  momentary  lift  of  the 
heavy  fog,  and  he  discovered  he  was  quite  near 
Bedloe's  Island.  The  powerful  search  light  had 
reflected  from  the  arc  held  aloft  in  the  hand  of 
the  Goddess  of  Liberty;  and  the  light  that  danced 
upon  the  waves  all  about  him  came  from  the 


THE  ACCIDENT  39 

smaller  arcs  which  were  placed  along  the  sea-wall 
of  the  Island. 

The  current  now  carried  him  helplessly  past 
the  pier  where  the  boats  from  the  Battery  land, 
but  just  as  he  tried  to  lift  his  head  once  more  and 
yell  for  help,  a  motor  boat  was  heard  chugging 
through  the  fog.  His  cry  was  heard  by  those  in 
the  boat,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  flash-light  in 
its  prow  was  blinding  Tom  because  of  its 
proximity. 

A  chorus  of  amazed  voices  now  mingled  with 
the  noise  of  the  water  dashing  against  the  wall 
and  the  ringing  of  the  buoy,  and  Tom  began  to 
feel  faint  and  dazed.  But  almost  before  he  knew 
what  was  happening,  a  powerful  grip  caught  him 
on  his  thick  hair,  and  he  was  dragged  partly  out 
of  the  water. 

A  commanding  voice  shouted:  "Help  grab 
the  girl — we'll  take  care  of  the  man !" 

Then  Tom  heard  no  more,  nor  indeed,  knew 
more  until  he  indistinctly  heard  a  far-off  call  of 
"Guard!  Guard!"  Then  he  opened  his  eyes  to 
find  he  was  on  the  solid  earth,  once  more.  Polly 
was  stretched  out  on  the  sand.  The  Guards 
tumbled  out  of  the  barracks  and  rushed  for  the 
spot  where  the  officer  stood  calling. 

While  a  few  of  the  boys  lifted  and  half  car- 


40      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

ried  Tom  to  the  general  assembly  room,  others 
ran  to  assist  the  boatman  with  the  girl.  She  was 
carefully  conveyed  to  the  barracks  and  the  doctor 
sent  for.  Meantime  the  men  applied  the  Schaefer 
Method  to  both  the  strangers;  Tom  instantly  re- 
covered himself  fully  but  Polly's  faint  lasted 
longer. 

When  the  doctor  hurried  in,  his  kindly  wife 
followed.  Tom  was  able  to  sit  up  and  tell  the 
story  of  how  the  accident  happened;  then  he 
begged  someone  to  notify  the  Wharf  Police  to 
keep  a  lookout  in  the  Harbor  as  there  might  be 
a  yacht  in  distress  after  that  collision.  Also,  if 
inquiry  was  made  at  Police  Headquarters,  the 
news  was  to  be  given,  that  both  Polly  and  he  were 
safe  on  Liberty  Island. 

A  Corporal  of  the  Guard  was  sent  to  attend 
to  these  messages,  and  Tom  was  taken  to  a  cot 
in  the  ward  of  the  Barracks.  His  wet  clothing 
was  removed  and  he  was  rolled  in  a  hot  blanket 
and  given  hot  lemonade.  In  a  few  moments  he 
was  sound  asleep. 

Polly  was  taken  to  the  doctor's  cottage  where 
his  wife  attended  the  patient  as  well  as  any  trained 
nurse  could  have  done.  The  girl  also  was  rolled 
in  warm  blankets  with  hot-water  bottles  placed 
about  her  cold  body.  Slowly  she  began  to  show 


TOM  AND  POLLY  ARE  RESCUED. 
Polly's  Business  Venture. 


rage  39 


THE  ACCIDENT  41 

more  animation,  and  when  she  could  speak,  she 
asked  if  Tom  was  saved. 

"Yes,  dear;  you  both  are  safe  now,"  replied 
Mrs.  Hall. 

"And  can  we  get  word "  began  she. 

"We  have  taken  care  of  that,  too,  dear.  Now 
try  to  drink  this  nice  hot  lemonade  and  then  go 
to  sleep." 

Polly  obediently  drank  the  hot  drink  and  sighed 
in  relief.  Then  she  sank  back  and,  almost  in- 
stantly, Nature  claimed  her  rights  to  make  up 
for  the  unwonted  interference  with  her  customary 
routine. 

Mrs.  Hall  sat  beside  the  cot  for  some  time 
after  Polly  was  asleep,  but  she  finally  succumbed 
to  weariness,  and  finding  her  patient  fully  recov- 
ered and  warm,  she  threw  herself  upon  a  nearby 
cot. 

Both  young  people  slept  late  in  the  morning, 
and  when  Tom  finally  opened  his  eyes,  feeling  a 
bit  stiff  in  his  joints,  he  had  to  collect  his  thoughts 
to  remember  where  he  was.  Like  a  flash,  every- 
thing came  back,  and  he  jumped  up  to  dress  and 
find  out  how  Polly  was. 

His  suit  had  been  dried  and  pressed  and  hung 
over  a  chair  beside  the  cot.  His  dress-coat 
seemed  ridiculously  out  of  order  after  that  swim 


42       POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

and,  now,  for  the  morning's  work.  But  he  smiled 
as  he  donned  the  clothes,  and  started  for  the  door 
of  the  long  room. 

Just  as  Tom  reached  the  door  one  of  the  men 
entered  and  greeted  him  warmly.  "I  see  you're 
all  right  again!" 

"Yes,  thank  you.  I  hope  the  little  girl  is  feel- 
ing as  well,"  ventured  Tom,  anxiously. 

"Doctor  Hall  just  left  her  and  says  she  is  right 
as  a  fiddle.  I'm  the  young  fellow  that  telephoned 
the  Police  for  you.  I  got  back  word,  early  this 
morning,  that  your  folks  finally  got  home,  with- 
out any  harm  to  anyone.  And  say !  Maybe  there 
wasn't  some  joy  when  they  heard  you  two  were 
safe  with  us !" 

Tom  felt  a  strange  gripping  at  his  throat,  and 
his  voice  quavered  as  he  replied:  "I  know  there 
was!" 

The  young  man  glanced  at  the  evening  dress 
and  then  said,  "I'm  going  to  loan  you  one  of  my 
long  coats  to  cover  those  togs." 

Tom  responded  gratefully,  and  said:  "If  I 
can  only  do  as  much  for  you  boys  some  time!" 

"Say,"  laughed  the  soldier,  "don't  wish  such  an 
experience  on  any  of  us!" 

Then  both  laughed.     As  they  reached  the  house 


THE  ACCIDENT  ^3 

where  Polly  had  spent  the  night,  the  doctor 
opened  the  door  and  smiled.  When  he  saw  that 
Tom  was  feeling  as  good  as  ever,  he  said:  "I 
just  hung  up  the  'phone.  A  gentleman  called 
'Dalken'  told  me  that  they  were  all  coming  over 
to  take  you  away.  But  I  warned  him  that  the 
entire  party  would  be  arrested  if  they  landed  on 
Government  Ground  without  a  permit. 

"Then  I  remembered  that  he  might  secure  a 
permit,  so  I  said:  'Anyway,  before  you  people 
can  get  here,  my  patients  will  be  on  their  way  to 
the  Battery.'  I  said  that,  because  the  young  lady 
ought  to  be  kept  perfectly  quiet  all  morning,  after 
such  a  fearful  experience,  you  know." 

"Yes,  I  know,"  admitted  Tom.  "And  I  am 
glad  you  said  what  you  did." 

"Now  we  had  her  dress  dried  and  pressed,  and 
the  little  miss  will  be  up  and  ready  to  thank  you 
for  your  courageous  deed,  in  an  hour  or  so,"  ex- 
plained the  doctor,  significantly. 

"Thank  you,  ever  so  much!"  said  Tom,  grasp- 
ing his  hand. 

"Let  Ted,  here,  show  you  about  the  place  and 
entertain  you  until  it's  time  to  call  again,"  sug- 
gested the  doctor. 

So  Tom  went  away  with  his  companion,  not  to 


44      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

explore  the  Island,  but  to  go  to  the  telephone  and 
have  a  long  talk  with  his  friends  in  the  city,  who 
were  anxious  to  hear  about  the  accident. 

Just  before  noon,  an  orderly  came  to  Tom  to 
say  that  Mrs.  Hall  said,  "Mr.  Latimer  could  call, 
if  he  liked."  Tom  laughed  at  the  message — "if 
he  liked." 

As  he  entered  the  little  sitting-room  of  the  doc- 
tor's house,  Tom  tip-toed  as  if  he  felt  he  had 
to  tread  softly.  But  Polly  sat  in  an  arm-chair 
by  the  window  and  saw  him  coming.  She  jumped 
up  and  ran  to  the  door  to  greet  him,  and  Mrs. 
Hall  went  out  of  the  room  by  the  kitchen-door. 

Tom  was  unable  to  speak  a  word  when  he 
finally  came  into  Polly's  presence.  She  caught 
hold  of  his  hands  and  shook  them  gladly,  as  she 
cried :  "Oh,  Tom !  What  do  I  not  owe  you  after 
last  night!" 

Tom  wanted  to  demand  payment,  but  he  knew 
that  would  ruin  his  chances  forever,  so  he  held  a 
tight  leash  on  his  feelings  and  smiled  wanly. 
Then  he  said  in  an  unnatural  tone:  "Lucky  for 
us  both  that  I  knew  how  to  swim,  eh,  Polly?" 

Polly  was  relieved  to  hear  him  speak  in  such  a 
way,  but  her  next  act  was  the  outgrowth  of  spon- 
taneous gratitude.  She  flung  both  arms  about  his 
neck  and  being  too  short  to  reach  his  cheek,  kissed 


THE  ACCIDENT  45 

him  on  the  chin  as  she  would  have  done  had  he 
been  John.  Tom  trembled,  but  realized  at  the 
same  time,  that  Polly's  kiss  meant  nothing.  Still 
he  was  humbly  grateful  for  even  that  token  of 
gratitude  from  the  reserved  girl. 

"Now  tell  me,  Tom  dear,  what  did  the  folks 
say  about  our  sudden  elopement?"  Polly  laughed 
as  she  used  the  term. 

"Oh,  Polly!  I'd  swim  from  here  to  China  for 
you  if  only  it  could  be  an  elopement!" 

The  girl  instantly  took  alarm,  and  looked  about 
for  Mrs.  Hall.  But  Tom  forced  a  laugh  and 
tried  to  make  her  believe  he  was  joking.  "Do 
you  think  that  any  man  would  do  that  for  a  girl?" 
he  added. 

Then  he  hurried  on  to  say  that  no  one  on  the 
yacht  had  been  injured  by  the  collision,  but  they 
were  hours  in  reaching  their  dock.  He  said  that 
they  (Polly  and  Tom)  were  not  missed  at  first, 
and  not  until  conditions  had  calmed  down  some- 
what, did  Eleanor  call  for  Polly.  Then  it  was 
found  that  neither  Tom  nor  Polly  were  to  be 
found. 

"It  was  Eleanor  who  remembered  seeing  us 
promenade  along  the  side  where  the  rail  was  de- 
tachable, and  it  was  Eleanor  who  said  we  must 
have  been  thrown  out  where  the  steps  came  up. 


46      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

So  the  captain  was  taken  to  task  for  having  such 
a  careless  man  on  board,  and  both  the  man  and 
the  captain  were  discharged." 

"Poor  man — it  wasn't  his  fault!"  sighed  Polly. 

"Well,  if  you  hadn't  recovered,  I'd  have  sent 
him  to  jail  for  life,  because  it  was  criminal  neg- 
ligence to  leave  that  rail  open  as  it  was!"  was 
Tom's  threatening  reply. 

"I'm  glad  there  is  no  cause  for  such  harsh 
treatment,"  responded  Polly. 

Tom  gazed,  with  his  soul  in  his  eyes,  as  he 
breathed  fervently:  "You're  not  half  as  glad  as 
I  am,  darling!" 

Polly  sprang  away  at  that,  and  ran  to  the  win- 
dow, saying:  "Don't  you  think  we  might  start 
for  the  City?  Mrs.  Hall  went  to  fetch  a  hat 
and  wrap  for  me  and  she  ought  to  be  back  by 
this  time," 


CHAPTER  IV 

A   REUNION   AND  A   VISITOR 

NEVER  was  maiden  welcomed  so  enthusias- 
tically and  so'  fervently,  as  Polly  Brewster,  that 
morning  when  she  stepped  from  the  launch  to  the 
sea-wall  at  Battery  Park.  Her  father  and  mother 
vied  with  each  other  in  embracing  and  kissing 
her,  while  the  tears  of  happiness  streamed  from 
their  eyes;  John  and  Anne  hovered  beside  them, 
watching  every  dear  feature  of  Polly's  face. 
Eleanor  stood  holding  fast  to  her  best  friend's 
skirt,  as  if  that  could  keep  her  forever  near  her. 

The  members  in  the  "Delegation  of  Welcome," 
acted  as  if  they  had  been  imbibing  some  intox- 
icating stimulant.  Such  happy  laughter,  and  ve- 
hement demonstrations  of  joy  and  love  because 
Polly  was  with  them  again,  spoke  louder  than 
words  that  they  had  all  thought  she  was  drowned. 
Tom  found  that  little  fuss  was  made  over  him  in 
the  first  exuberant  greetings,  but  he  came  in  for 
his  share  after  the  doctor  had  concluded  his  story 
about  the  valiant  young  rescuer. 

47 


48      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Now,  Mr.  Brewster,  you  pay  attention  to 
me,"  remarked  the  physician,  when  he  was  ready 
to  depart  on  the  launch:  "You  take  your  daugh- 
ter home,  at  once,  and  put  her  to  bed  for  the  rest 
of  the  day,  to  spare  her  any  nervous  reaction. 
Then,  if  she  is  all  right  tomorrow,  you  may  al- 
low her  to  receive  a  caller,  or  two — no  more  for 
the  time  being,  or  you  will  have  her  break  down." 
Mr.  Brewster  promised  to  obey  the  orders 
faithfully,  and  soon  afterwards,  Polly's  friends 
followed  her  and  her  parents  to  the  automobiles 
which  were  waiting  near  the  curb  of  the  Park. 
Tom  was  surrounded,  on  both  sides  and  fore  and 
aft,  by  his  family  and  John  and  Mr.  Dalken,  all 
of  whom  wished  to  hear  the  thrilling  story  of  the 
rescue  again. 

"I'd  rather  hear  how  you  folks  kept  afloat  after 
that  boat  rammed  the  yacht,"  said  he,  shunning  a 
subject  that  still  made  him  shudder. 

Mr.  Dalken  insisted  that  Tom  with  his  father 
and  mother  get  into  his  luxurious  limousine  and 
let  him  drive  them  home.  On  the  way  uptown, 
Mr.  Dalken  told  the  story  of  their  narrow  escape 
from  being  lost  in  the  Bay  after  the  collision. 

"Immediately  after  the  yacht  was  rammed  and 
we  could  collect  our  senses  to  comprehend  what 
had  happened,  and  what  to  do,  the  old  tub  of  a 


A  REUNION  AND  A  VISITOR      49 

ferry-boat  kept  on  her  course.  But  there  were 
some  worried  citizens  on  board,  for  they  shouted 
and,  finally,  the  captain  stopped  his  engines  and 
blew  the  whistles  to  see  if  we  needed  help. 

"Fortunately  for  us,  a  river  tug  was  quite  close 
at  hand  when  the  accident  occurred,  and  its  cap- 
tain called  through  a  megaphone  to  say  that  he 
would  assist  us  in  any  way  we  commanded. 

"Our  Captain  then  ascertained  that  part  of  our 
gear  had  been  shaken  out  of  place,  and  it  would 
be  dangerous  for  him  to  try  to  run  the  vessel  un- 
der her  own  power,  and  trust  our  steering  gear. 
So  the  good  old  man  on  the  tug  took  us  in  tow 
and  landed  us,  towards  dawn,  at  our  dock. 

"The  moment  we  were  on  land,  I  rushed  to 
the  telephone  at  the  Yacht  Club  house,  and  noti- 
fied Police  Headquarters.  Ken  Evans  was  an 
eye-witness  to  the  dive  that  we  feared  had  caused 
Polly  and  you  your  lives ;  so  we  told  the  Sergeant 
at  the  Station  just  about  where  you  went  down. 

"The  Bureau  at  Battery  Park  was  'phoned  but 
they  said  the  tide  was  running  out  at  that  time, 
so  you  both  would  be  carried  past  Bedloe's  Is- 
land; if  you  both  were  good  swimmers  there  was 
a  slight  hope  of  your  being  rescued. 

"I  tell  you,  Tom,  we  were  almost  frantic  with 
joy  and  relief  when  word  came  from  Liberty  Is- 


5o      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

land  that  you  both  were  safe  in  bed,  there,  with- 
out injury  or  other  hurt,  excepting  the  shock. 
Polly's  mother  swooned  and  we  thought  she  was 
gone  because  it  was  so  long  before  we  could  re- 
vive her." 

Tom's  mother  sat  holding  her  boy's  hand  within 
her  own,  and  his  father  smiled  at  him  so  often 
that  Tom  began  to  feel  fussed.  But  Mr.  Dalken 
laughed  at  his  apparent  self-consciousness. 

"Tom,  my  boy,  grin  and  bear  this  ordeal  for 
the  time,  as  you  may  never  in  your  life,  have  an- 
other experience  like  it.  It  shows  you  what  we 
all  think  of  you,  to  sit  and  idolize  you  in  this 
fashion." 

They  laughed  at  the  banter,  but  Tom  felt  more 
at  ease  after  Mr.  Dalken's  little  speech. 

Having  arrived  at  his  home,  Tom  rebelled 
against  being  kept  quiet  that  day.  "Goodness' 
sakes,  mother!  any  one  would  think  I  was  an  in- 
Valid.  Why,  I  feel  better  than  I  have  in 
months!"  and  his  happy  gayety  attested  to  his 
spirits.  But  no  one  knew  that  he  was  joyous  be- 
cause Polly  had  kissed  him  that  morning.  And 
he  was  sure  that  that  something  he  had  detected 
in  her  eyes,  was  the  awakening  of  love,  instead 
of  the  fervent  gratitude  it  really  was. 

Tom  could  not  settle  down  to  do  anything  that 


A  REUNION  AND  A  VISITOR      51 

day,  but  he  called  John  up  on  the  'phone  several 
times  to  ask  about  Polly.  John  patiently  replied 
each  time,  that  Polly  was  fast  asleep  and  would 
probably  remain  so,  for  several  hours  more,  be- 
cause she  required  it.  When  Tom  asked  if  he 
had  better  come  down  that  evening  and  call,  John 
was  most  emphatic  in  his  refusal. 

But  the  following  day,  Tom  kept  telephoning 
the  Brewsters  every  little  while  and  Anne  finally 
capitulated  and  invited  him  to  call  that  evening. 

Polly  was  fully  recovered,  again,  with  no  signs 
of  the  shock  or  soaking  she  had  received;  so, 
when  Tom  was  announced  by  the  telephone  girl 
in  the  hotel  office,  she  felt  no  undue  nervousness. 

"Anne,  you  are  going  to  help  entertain  Tom, 
aren't  you?"  said  she,  casually  patting  her  hair 
down  neatly. 

Anne  looked  at  her  sister-in-law  with  an  amused 
smile.  "If  you  think  you  will  need  a  chaperone 
when  such  an  old  friend  calls.  Tom  always 
seems  more  like  a  brother  than  a  young  man  who 
might  turn  out  to  be  a  beau,  some  day." 

Polly  pondered  this  sentence  for  a  time,  then 
said:  "Well,  there's  no  telling  what  he  may 
think  after  that  ducking,  you  know,  so  it  will  be 
more  comfortable  to  have  you  about." 

Tom   fully   expected   a   warm  welcome   from 


52      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Polly,  and  perhaps,  another  flash  of  something 
akin  to  love  that  he  thought  he  had  detected  in 
her  deep  blue  eyes,  when  he  met  her  in  the  hos- 
pital. So  he  was  more  than  chagrined  to  find 
Polly  smile  friendily  upon  him  as  she  took  his  hand 
in  the  same  manner  that  she  would  have  taken 
Mr.  Dalken's. 

"I  just  thought  I  would  bring  in  a  little  glow 
with  me,  Polly,"  remarked  Tom,  when  he  recov- 
ered self-possession  again.  "A  few  roses,  such 
as  I  know  you  like." 

He  handed  a  long  box  to  Polly  and  watched 
eagerly  as  she  cut  the  string  and  opened  the  lid 
of  the  box. 

"Oh,  Tom!  American  Beauties  again!  How 
lovely!"  and  she  buried  her  face  in  the  fragrant 
red  petals  that  filled  the  one  end  of  the  box. 

Anne  held  out  her  hand  for  the  box  when  Polly 
went  to  place  it  on  a  chair.  "I'll  hand  them  to 
mother,  Polly,  for  her  to  arrange  in  a  jar.  The 
others  that  came  yesterday,  can  be  placed  in  an- 
other glass." 

"Oh,  did  Polly  receive  other  roses?"  asked 
Tom,  trying  to  appear  unconcerned,  but  flushing 
as  he  spoke. 

"Why,  didn't  you  send  them  to  me?  There 
was  no  card  in  the  box,  but  you  always  send  Amer- 


A  REUNION  AND  A  VISITOR      53 

ican  Beauties,  Tom,"  exclaimed  Polly,  in  surprise. 

Tom  laughed  sheepishly.  "Well,  I  did  send 
them,  Polly,  but  I  thought  I  would  make  you 
guess  who  it  could  have  been.  I  never  dreamed 
you  would  give  me  credit  for  the  roses." 

"Why  shouldn't  I?  It  would  have  seemed 
queer  if  you  hadn't  sent  flowers,  when  everyone 
within  a  thousand  miles,  sent  boxes  and  bouquets 
to  me,  all  yesterday  and  all  day  today." 

"They  did!  What  for?"  asked  Tom,  wonder- 
ingly. 

"What  for?  Why,  goodness  me!  Don't  you 
suppose  my  friends  were  glad  that  I  wasn't 
drowned,"  retorted  Polly,  in  amazement. 
"Everyone  that  ever  knew  me,  sent  love  and 
flowers,  so  I  never  thought  it  strange  that  you  sent 
me  some,  too." 

This  was  a  hard  slap  for  Tom,  and  he  winced 
under  the  words  which  denoted  that  Polly  consid- 
ered him  only  as  one  of  many  friends.  Even  the 
roses  presented  that  night,  with  a  little  heart- 
shaped  card  tied  in  the  center  of  the  group  of 
stems,  now  seemed  useless  in  his  eyes. 

But  Polly  had  not  removed  the  roses  from  the 
box  so  she  failed  to  find  the  heart-shaped  card  that 
Tom  had  spent  the  whole  afternoon  in  inditing. 
Anne  gave  the  box  to  Mrs.  Brewster,  and  when 


54      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

that  sensible  mother  took  the  roses  out,  one  by 
one,  and  found  the  card,  she  put  it  away  with  the 
cards  that  had  come  with  other  flowers.     She 
also  forgot  to  mention  the  card  to  Polly,  so  the 
girl  never  knew  that  Tom  had  written  her  of  his 
undying  love.     As  Anne  replied,  for  Polly,  to  all. 
the  cards,  Tom  received  the  same  sort  of  polite! 
little  note  as  others  did,  with  Polly's  name  and  a 
"per  A.B."  signed  to  it. 

Finding  Polly  so  self-possessed  that  evening, 
Tom  pulled  himself  together  with  an  effort,  and 
tried  to  converse  on  various  topics  of  general  in- 
terest. Anne  eagerly  assisted  in  the  conversation, 
so  Polly  listened  without  having  much  to  say. 

Tom  tried  to  make  Polly  talk,  too,  but  with- 
out success,  so  he  became  silent  and  left  most  of 
the  entertaining  for  Anne  to  do.  But  even  she 
found  the  task  of  finding  subjects  to  interest  two 
dumb  people,  rather  irksome,  and  she  decided  on. 
a  coup. 

"Excuse  me  for  a  moment,  please,  while  I  see 
if  John  has  returned  with  his  father."  So  say- 
ing, Anne  ran  from  the  room. 

Polly  sat  up  and  watched  her  go  as  if  her  pro- 
tector had  turned  traitor.  She  glanced  at  Tom 
in  a  half  doubtful  manner  as  if  to  ask  what  he 
would  do  now  with  the  chaperone  out  of  the  way? 


A  REUNION  AND  A  VISITOR      55 

But  Anne's  absence  gave  Tom's  morbid  senses 
an  inspiration  that  he  acted  upon  without  second 
thought.  It  was  the  best  thing  he  could  have 
done  with  Polly  in  this  baffling  mood. 

"I'm  returning  to  Pebbly  Pit,  in  a  few  days, 
Polly.  I  am  actually  homesick  for  a  sight  of  the 
dear  old  mountains." 

Polly  gasped.  "Oh,  no  one  told  me  you  were 
leaving  us.  Jim  told  me  that  he  thought  you 
might  remain  here  for  several  months." 

"Jim?  What  does  that  kid  know  about  my 
affairs?"  said  Tom,  impatiently.  "Besides,  when 
did  you  see  Jim?" 

"Oh,  Jim  just  dropped  in  for  a  minute  this 
afternoon." 

Tom  felt  the  pangs  of  jealousy  because  his 
younger  brother  had  been  able  to  see  Polly  be- 
fore she  would  allow  him  to  call.  Then  he  re- 
membered his  role  to  act  the  part  of  a  platonic 
brother  and  friend. 

Polly  continued:  "I  think  Jim  is  a  dear  boy. 
He  is  so  fond  and  proud  of  you,  too.  Why,  when 
he  was  here  he  sat  and  talked  of  nothing  else  but 
you  and  your  loyalty  to  family,  friends,  and  your 
work." 

As  Polly  spoke,  Tom  felt  ashamed  of  his  mo- 
mentary jealousy  of  his  brother.  When  she  had 


5 6      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

finished  speaking,  he  laughed  and  said:  "What 
a  pity  Jim  sees  me  through  such  fine  magnifying 
glasses.  The  undesirable  qualities  in  my  char- 
acter he  never  detects." 

"I  think  it  is  great  to  have  your  family  think 
you  are  all  that  is  wonderful !  I  think  my  family 
regard  me  as  a  saint,  and  I  like  it,  too,"  declared 
Polly. 

'That's  because  you  are  one,  Polly  dear,"  re- 
torted Tom,  and  the  fervor  he  expressed  in  his 
eyes  and  voice,  caused  his  companion  to  gasp. 

Before  Tom  could  follow  up  his  sudden  dec- 
laration and  make  Polly  understand  his  sentiments 
for  her,  she  broached  another  subject  of  con- 
versation. 

"Tom,  what  has  been  accomplished  at  the  mine 
and  at  Rainbow  Cliffs  while  I  was  in  Europe?" 

Tom  frowned,  but  he  realized  that  Polly  was 
more  sensible  than  he.  He  remembered,  once 
more,  what  Anne  had  advised,  so  he  choked  the 
despondent  sigh  and  replied  instead,  with  seeming 
interest : 

"Oh,  John  and  I  had  another  queer  bout  with 
some  thieves.  They  were  not  after  the  land  this 
time,  but  they  planned  to  get  at  the  ore  and  carry 
off  as  much  of  the  gold  as  they  could  lay  hands 
on.  Our  old  friend,  Rattlesnake  Mike,  caught 


A  REUNION  AND  A  VISITOR      57 

them  red-handed,  and  now  they  are  serving  a  term 
in  prison  at  hard  labor." 

"Oh,  Tom!    I  never  heard  a  word  of  this!" 
cried  Polly,  eagerly.     "Dp  tell  me  about  it." 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  RAID  ON  CHOKO'S  FIND  MINE 

"You  remember  when  we  all  came  East  last 
June  to  attend  John's  wedding  and  see  you  off  for 
Europe?"  asked  Tom. 

Polly  nodded  eagerly  but  said  nothing  to  in- 
terrupt him. 

"Well,  we  remained  longer  than  we  had 
planned  when  we  left  Pebbly  Pit.  The  friends  in 
New  York  were  so  eager  to  entertain  us  before 
we  went  back  home,  that  the  days  passed  swiftly 
before  we  realized  we  had  stayed  on  ten  days 
longer  than  we  should  have  done  at  that  time. 

"Now  to  go  back  to  the  time  when  those  two 
rascals  tried  to  jump  your  claim,  the  time  your 
father  and  Mike  guided  the  party  when  you-all 
climbed  the  Indian  Trail  to  Grizzly  Slide. 

"It  seems  that  crafty  clerk  who  had  copied  the 
rough  map  of  the  claim  you  staked  on  Flat  Tor* 
and  filed  in  Oak  Creek,  never  gave  up  hope  of 
some  day  getting  his  hands  on  enough  of  that  gold 

58 


CHOKO'S  FIND  MINE  59 

to  help  him  get  away  and  live  comfortably,  ever 
after,  on  the  proceeds. 

"When  he  learned  that  everyone  of  the  family 
at  Pebbly  Pit,  would  be  East  for  a  few  weeks,  and 
the  mine  would  be  left  in  charge  of  Mike  and  the 
other  employees,  he  immediately  called  a  few  cut- 
throats together  and  laid  his  plans  accordingly. 

"After  the  discovery  of  his  perfidy  in  copying 
the  claim  papers  and  then  trying  to  jump  the 
staked  claim,  he  had  been  discharged  from  the 
office  in  Oak  Creek  and,  thereafter,  no  one  re- 
spectable would  employ  him.  So  he  hung  about 
the  saloon  and  spent  his  time  in  gambling  with 
the  miners  from  Up-Crest,  back  of  Oak  Creek 
station.  He  found  willing  confederates  in  this 
group  of  Slavs  who  hailed  the  invitation  to  steal 
enough  gold  to  enable  them  to  go  back  to  Europe 
and  pose  as  rich  men. 

"The  whole  plot  had  been  kept  unusually  se- 
cret for  that  specie  of  foreigner,  so  no  one  at  Oak 
Creek  knew  of  the  proposed  raid.  But  Mike 
rode  into  Oak  Creek  the  morning  before  the  night 
these  rascals  planned  to  act,  and  with  his  unusual 
gift  of  intuition,  he  felt  that  something  was  work- 
ing quietly  in  the  minds  of  the  evil-looking  men  he 
found  whispering  over  a  small  table  in  one  corner 
of  the  saloon. 


60      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Mike  hung  around  for  sereral  hours  to  try 
and  learn  if  any  plot  was  hatching  against  Rain- 
bow Cliffs  while  the  owners  were  absent;  or  per- 
haps these  men  planned  a  rush  on  the  mine  while 
he  and  but  few  men  were  on  guard.  But  noth- 
ing could  be  discovered.  Feeling  assured  because 
of  the  sly  and  malicious  expressions  of  the  men 
at  the  table  when  they  glanced  at  Mike,  as  he  sat 
in  another  corner  and  pretended  to  doze,  that 
Hank  had  some  move  under  way  to  trouble  him 
and  his  assistants,  made  the  Indian  use  splendid 
judgment  and  action  that  day. 

"He  borrowed  the  Sheriff's  thoroughbred  blood- 
hound, and  asked  for  a  few  extra  men  to  accom- 
pany him  to  the  cave  and  stay  there  until  the  own- 
ers returned,  promising  them  better  wages  than 
they  could  earn  at  any  work  in  Oak  Creek,  or  on 
the  ranches  nearby.  To  allay  suspicion  he  rode 
out  of  town,  alone,  but  he  had  agreed  to  wait  at 
Pine  Tree  Blaze  for  the  extra  men. 

"The  men  rode  away  from  town  each  at  a 
different  time,  to  avoid  talk  or  notice  by  the 
loungers  at  the  saloon,  and  all  met  at  the  ren- 
dezvous that  afternoon.  Mike  then  led  the  way 
up  the  steep  trail,  and  by  dark  they  were  in 
camp. 

"This  was  the  second  day  after  we  left  Pebbly 


CHOKO'S  FIND  MINE  61 

Pit.  Mike  had  warned  Jeb  of  his  suspicions,  too, 
and  that  wary  little  man  had  instantly  taken  steps 
to  protect  the  Cliffs,  by  ordering  all  hands  work- 
ing there  to  keep  away  from  Oak  Creek  until  the 
Boss  got  home.  He  said  that  unusual  care  must 
be  used  for  a  time,  to  watch  during  the  nights, 
and  keep  trespassers  out  during  the  day,  for  fear 
of  raiders. 

"The  first  night  in  camp  on  the  mountains, 
Mike  never  rested  a  minute,  but  moved  silently 
from  one  place  to  another,  with  senses  keyed  for 
some  sign  of  the  rascals.  However,  that  first 
night  passed  quietly  away.  His  extra  men  spent 
the  evening  in  smoking  and  playing  cards,  then 
they  rolled  up  in  their  blankets  and  snored  peace- 
fully the  night  through. 

"The  next  day  Mike  smiled  to  himself  when 
the  men  laughed  at  his  suspicions.  They  were  so 
far  from  any  settlement  and  the  mountains  were 
so  great  and  silent,  that  it  gave  them  confidence 
in  the  peace  and  good  will  with  all  men. 

"The  second  night  the  men  were  again  playing 
cards  near  the  camp-fire.  Mike  sat  on  the  ledge 
in  front  of  the  cave  with  the  hound  stretched  out 
on  a  slab  of  rock  at  his  feet.  The  giant  wooden 
flume  could  be  faintly  discerned,  through  the 
smoke  of  the  fire  and  from  the  pipes  of  the  men, 


62      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

not   twenty    feet   away    from   the    engines    that 
worked  it. 

"Suddenly  the  hound  lifted  his  head  and  pointed 
his  ears.  Mike  leaned  forward  with  face  turned 
towards  the  flume,  listening.  Then  he  laid  his 
pipe  down  on  the  rock  and  crawled  away  upon 
his  hands  and  knees,  followed  closely  by  the 
hound. 

"Do  you  remember  the  giant  flume  we  planned 
to  carry  off  the  water  of  the  river  that  flowed 
underground;  the  one  into  which  Nolla  and  you 
dropped  the  torch  the  day  you  found  the  cave?" 

Polly  silently  signified  that  she  remembered,  and 
Tom  continued:  "Well,  we  used  that  flume  dur- 
ing the  work  of  mining  and  washing  trash  from 
the  ore,  but  at  night,  when  there  was  no  need  for 
the  water  to  pour  through  it,  we  turned  the  cur- 
rent down  the  other  way  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  mountain. 

"Mike  crept  silently  across  the  ledge  and 
peered  far  down  into  the  black  chasm  below,  to 
ascertain  if  the  suspicious  sounds  came  from  that 
pit.  But  the  dog  crawled  noiselessly  across  the 
ledge  to  the  flume  and  there  he  stood  with  tense 
nerves.  His  ears  were  erect  and  his  tail  was 
standing  out  straight  behind  him,  as  he  stood  and 
glared  at  the  wooden  flume. 


CHOKO'S  FIND  MINE  63 

"As  the  dog  was  so  well-trained,  Mike  did  not 
doubt  his  instinct,  but  crept  over  to  his  side  and 
there  waited  and  listened. 

"Had  he  not  been  absolutely  quiet,  the  faint 
sound  of  something  moving  inside  that  flume 
would  have  been  lost  on  the  outside.  But  Mike 
was  as  keen  a  hunter  as  his  dog,  and  they  both 
sensed  that  something  very  foreign  to  water,  was 
passing  through  that  flume. 

"Accompanying  the  strange  muffled  sound  in- 
side the  flume  every  few  moments,  there  came  a 
different  sound,  as  if  something  sharp  was  being 
driven  into  the  wood  for  a  hold.  Mike  figured 
out  that  the  inside  of  the  flume  had  been  worn  so 
slippery  with  the  flood  of  waters  and  sand  or 
pebbles  passing  through  it  in  torrents,  that 
it  was  necessary  to  use  steel-pointed  staffs  and 
creepers  to  help  anyone  in  the  dangerous 
ascent. 

"As  soon  as  Mike  felt  convinced  that  someone 
was  trying  a  new  trick  to  gain  possession  of  the 
mine,  he  crept  back  to  the  camp-fire  and  told  the 
men  of  the  sounds  inside  the  flume.  They 
laughed  immoderately  at  Mike,  and  declared  that 
he  was  going  mad  because  of  his  prohibition  since 
his  employers  left  him  in  charge. 

"But  Mike  ordered  a  few  of  his  most  trust- 


64      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

worthy  miners  to  guard  the  cave  in  front,  while 
the  others  were  sent  over  the  top  of  the  range  to 
keep  watch  at  the  opposite  entrance  to  the  mine. 
You'll  remember,  Polly,  that  that  was  the  side 
where  the  pit  cut  the  cave  in  half.  We  bridged 
that  chasm,  you  know,  and  used  the  short-cut  en- 
trance quite  often,  although  the  ore  was  brought 
out  through  Choko's  Find. 

"Mike  then  selected  several  of  his  brawniest 
fighters  and  very  quietly  led  the  way  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  flume  where  the  water-gate  was  located. 
As  they  could  travel  faster  on  the  ground  than 
the  men  creeping  up  inside  the  slippery  wooden 
tube,  Mike  and  his  companions  reached  the  wa- 
ter-gate before  they  heard  the  suspicious  sounds 
from  within  the  flume. 

"He  signalled  his  men  to  keep  absolutely  quiet, 
and  then  crept  out  on  the  lintel  of  the  gate  and 
got  a  firm  purchase  on  the  lever.  No  one 
dreamed  of  his  purpose  at  the  moment,  and  he 
suddenly  seemed  to  reconsider  his  plan,  for  he 
crept  back  again  and  had  just  reached  the  trio  of 
curious  men,  when  a  sigh  of  relief  was  distinctly 
heard  from  inside  the  flume. 

"Then  a  whispering  was  heard,  but  not  under- 
stood. In  a  few  moments  a  grating  sound  as  if 
some  sharp  tool  was  being  used.  Mike  surmised 


CHOKO'S  FIND  MINE  65 

that  they  were  trying  to  break  a  way  through  the 
wooden  door  by  which  to  get  out. 

"Without  further  delay,  then,  Mike  threw 
open  the  lid  in  the  top  of  the  flume  and  com- 
manded the  trespassers  to  come  forth. 

"There  was  no  reply  from  within,  and  not  a 
sound  was  heard  after  Mike  opened  the  lid.  So 
he  called  again :  'Ef  yoh  no  come  us  wash  riber 
fru  dis  pipe.' 

"Still  no  reply  or  sound  was  heard,  so  Mike 
winked  at  his  companions,  and  gave  a  fictitious 
order:  'Frow  water  gate  open!' 

"  'Stop !  Wait  a  minute !'  shouted  a  frightened 
voice  from  the  flume. 

"Another  voice  cursed  in  the  most  dreadful 
way,  but  soon  after  Mike's  order  to  turn  in  the 
water,  four  men  managed  to  emerge  from  the  tube 
and  sit  astride  it. 

"Seeing  but  four  opponents  there  to  fight,  the 
leader  of  the  gang  gave  a  sign,  and  the  daring 
raiders  tried  to  over-power  Mike  and  his  three 
men.  But  they  had  not  seen  the  wolf-hound  in 
the  shadows.  As  they  dropped  upon  the  men  to 
fight  them,  the  dog  sprang  out  and  drove  his 
fangs  deep  into  one  rascal's  throat.  He  will 
carry  those  marks  to  his  last  day.  It  was  a  won- 
der he  was  not  killed  outright. 


66      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"That  released  Mike  and  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  help  his  companions  free  themselves.  The 
dog  fought  mightily,  and  after  a  short  but  fierce 
battle,  the  trespassers  were  bound  and  laid  on  the 
ground  for  the  night. 

"  'What'cha  goin'  to  do  wid'dem,  Mike  ?'  asked 
one  of  his  men. 

"  'Ship  'em  down  th'  flume,  Mike,  th'  way  they 
come  up,'  laughed  another  of  his  men. 

"  'So  me  say,  but  Mike  go  jail  fer  kill  man,' 
replied  the  Indian. 

"The  other  men  strongly  approved  of  that 
course  of  justice,  however,  and  Mike  had  all  he 
could  do  to  keep  them  from  following  their  in- 
clination to  wash  the  guilty  men  down  the  flume 
and  out  into  Bear  Forks  River  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain. 

"The  next  day  Mike  and  his  men  drove  the 
raiders  down  the  steep  trail  and  left  them  in  the 
hands  of  the  constable  of  Oak  Creek,  to  await 
trial  in  the  County  Court.  But  the  captured  ras- 
cals had  boon  companions  in  Oak  Creek,  and 
when  they  learned  that  four  of  their  group  were 
in  prison  they  started  a  regular  riot. 

"They  tarred  and  feathered  poor  little  Jeb  the 
next  time  he  drove  in  to  Oak  Creek  for  mail  and 


CHOKO'S  FIND  MINE  67 

supplies,  and  a  few  days  before  we  got  back  home, 
they  made  a  well-planned  raid  on  the  lava  mines 
at  Rainbow  Cliffs.  Not  a  piece  of  machinery 
was  left  intact,  and  the  great  bags  of  jewels  we 
had  waiting  for  shipment  were  scattered  far  and 
wide  by  the  vandals. 

"But  the  sheriff  heard  of  the  proposed  visit  to 
Pebbly  Pit,  and  took  a  posse  of  men  to  follow  the 
drunken  miners  to  the  Cliffs.  Such  a  battle  as 
ensued,  beggars  my  weak  description.  The  sher- 
iff told  us  about  it  when  we  got  home,  but  his 
language  is  not  very  graphic,  nor  is  it  thrilling,  so 
we  only  heard  the  bare  facts  of  the  fight. 

"But,  Polly,  you  must  supply  with  your  own 
vivid  imagination,  the  details  that  may  be  missing 
from  my  account.  When  I  tell  you  that  the  van- 
dals were  slowly  backed  away  from  the  Cliffs 
and  were,  eventually,  driven  to  the  gully  back  of 
the  Devil's  Causeway  where  those  two  men  were 
engulfed  in  the  slide,  the  day  they  came  to  cajole 
your  father  into  signing  papers  for  the  Cliffs,  you 
can  picture  their  horror  when  the  edge  of  the 
great  cliff  began  to  crumble  in.  They  could  not 
turn  to  right  or  left,  as  they  were  hemmed  in  by 
the  pursuers,  and  they  dared  not  remain  where 
they  were  for  fear  of  being  swallowed  in  the  quick- 


68      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

sand  that  was  already  sliding  downwards.  So 
they  gave  up  to  the  sheriff  and  surrendered  their 
guns. 

"That  was  a  bad  case,  as  one  of  the  sheriff's 
men  had  been  dangerously  wounded  and  it  was 
feared  he  would  die.  All  our  valuable  machin- 
ery was  ruined  and  all  orders  for  the  delivery  of 
the  lava  jewels  had  to  be  cancelled,  or  postponed 
for  a  year.  So  the  culprits  each  got  twenty  years 
and  Oak  Creek  is  quieter,  by  far,  because  more 
than  a  score  of  its  worst  citizens  are  safely  housed 
in  jail." 

As  Tom  ended  his  story,  Polly  unclasped  her 
hands  which  she  had  nervously  clenched  during 
the  recital  of  the  raids  on  her  precious  property. 

"Oh,  Tom!  I  never  dreamed  of  all  the  trouble 
everyone  would  have  because  of  those  precious 
mines,  the  day  Nolla  and  I  filed  our  papers  at  Oak 
Creek,"  gasped  Polly. 

"No  one  does  dream  of  these  things — they  only 
see  the  future  in  rosy  hues,"  retorted  Tom. 

"And  to  think  of  the  work  and  worry  John  and 
you  have  had  in  establishing  this  great  undertak- 
ing, while  I  was  in  Europe  taking  life  easy,  and 
spending  money  without  a  thought  of  how  it  was 
being  produced  at  home!"  sighed  Polly. 

"That  is  as  it  should  be,  Polly.     You  were  not 


CHOKO'S  FIND  MINE  69 

squandering  the  money,  but  using  it  in  ways  to 
profit  yourself  for  the  future.  John  and  I  knew, 
when  we  started  in  on  this  mining  venture,  that 
the  line  would  not  lay  in  flower-strewn  paths,  but 
that  it  might  force  us  over  all  sorts  of  snags,  be- 
fore we  reached  success." 

"Well,  it  is  fine  of  you  to  talk  like  this,  Tom," 
admitted  Polly,  gratefully.  "If  it  were  not  for 
you  boys  taking  an  interest  in  the  work,  I  might 
as  well  say  'good-by'  to  the  gold." 

Tom  laughed.  "Polly,  this  is  so  insignificant 
a  work  to  do  for  you — just  taking  an  interest  in 
your  mine.  Some  day  I  hope  to  prove  in  some 
greater  way,  just  what  I  want  to,  and  can,  do 
for  you." 

Tom's  manner  and  looks  again  alarmed  Polly 
and  she  changed  the  subject  adroitly.  "Tom,  do 
you  like  the  home  in  Pebbly  Pit?  Isn't  it  differ- 
ent from  living  in  the  city,  in  these  apartments?" 

Tom  smiled,  for  he  understood.  "Yes,  it  is 
fine,  Polly.  It  is  a  real  home — with  your  blessed 
mother  at  the  ranch-house.  I  have  lived  in  adobe 
huts  in  Arizona,  and  out  on  sand  wastes  in  New 
Mexico,  you  know,  so  that  Pebbly  Pit  is  great, 
in  comparison." 

"Mother  told  me  how  good  it  was  to  have 
Anne  and  you  with  her  all  summer,  while  I  was 


70      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

abroad,"  said  Polly,  after  a  short  interval  of  si- 
lence.  "I  feel  that  it  was  not  so  heartless  of  me 
to  enjoy  myself  in  Europe  as  I  did,  so  long  as 
mother  and  father  were  not  lonely  and  homesick 
for  me." 

"But  your  mother  often  said  to  me,  that  were 
it  not  for  Anne's  being  with  her,  she  would  have 
cabled  you  to  come  home.  She  had  looked  for- 
ward so  anxiously  to  your  spending  this  vacation 
at  Pebbly  Pit,"  remarked  Tom. 

"My!  Then  I  was  more  fortunate  than  I 
dreamed  of,"  laughed  Polly.  "I  should  have 
hated  to  leave  Eleanor  in  Europe,  with  such  a 
wonderful  tour  before  us,  and  come  back  home 
without  having  done  the  whole  trip." 

Tom  had  no  desire  to  hear  more  about  that  en- 
joyable tour  and  the  probable  acquaintance  the 
girls  had  made  with  eligible  young  men  with  fas- 
cinating titles.  So  he  spoke  of  his  imminent  de- 
parture for  the  West. 

"I  had  a  talk  with  Dad  and  Mr.  Dalken  to- 
day, and  they  think  it  best  for  me  to  get  back  at 
the  mines  without  further  delay.  The  mountain 
storms  will  soon  be  sweeping  over  the  peaks,  and 
winter  protection  must  be  completed  at  the  Cave 
and  Flume  before  then;  so  I  think  I  shall  be  leav- 
ing in  a  day,  or  so." 


CHOKO'S  FIND  MINE  71 

Polly  murmured  some  friendly  regret  at  his 
going  so  soon. 

"But  the  need  of  my  being  at  the  mines  to  pre- 
pare for  winter  is  not  the  main  cause  of  my  leav- 
ing New  York,  so  soon,"  began  Tom,  moodily. 
"I  came  East  with  a  definite  hope  in  mind,  but  so 
many  unforeseen  events  have  happened  since  I  met 
you,  that  I  haven't  furthered  my  interests  since  I 
left  Pebbly  Pit."  Tom  waited  for  encourage- 
ment from  Polly. 

Polly  did  not  pursue  the  subject,  however,  but 
she  said:  "Well,  this  winter,  I  have  planned  to 
actually  work!" 

"I  thought  you  said  you  have  been  working 
ever  since  you  came  to  New  York,"  laughed  Tom. 

"Yes,  at  school  and  in  other  ways;  but  now,  I 
propose  going  to  work  in  Mr.  Ashby's  shop. 
You  know,  he  has  a  wonderful  place  on  Fifth 
Avenue  where  they  have  every  kind  of  article  one 
needs  in  the  way  of  ornament  or  decorating. 
There  is  where  Eleanor  and  I  managed  to  get 
such  splendid  experience  in  textiles  and  other  ob- 
jects familiar  to  interior  decorators. 

"Now  I  propose  going  to  work  for  him  at  a 
stated  salary,  and  giving  every  morning  to  the 
work,  this  year.  In  the  afternoons  I  will  be  free 
to  visit  Exhibitions,  Museums,  hunt  up  antiguesf 


72      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

or  just  play.  Four  evenings  every  week  we  will 
attend  school  and  lectures,  you  know,  so  there 
will  not  be  very  much  time  left  in  which  to  write 
letters." 

"You  never  did  work  hard  at  writing  letters," 
said  Tom,  smilingly. 

"No,  and  this  winter  there  will  be  even  less 
time  for  them.  My  friends  will  have  to  be  sat- 
isfied with  picture  post-cards  or  telegrams," 
laughed  Polly,  hoping  that  would  answer  all  ex- 
pected requests  for  a  correspondence. 

"Well,"  said  Tom,  "I  only  write  to  people  I 
really  want  to  hear  from.  And  I  never  ask  any- 
one to  write  to  me  unless  I  take  a  great  deal  of 
pleasure  in  reading  their  letters.  I  never  asked 
you  to  correspond  with  me,  have  I?" 

"No-o,  I  think  not,"  replied  Polly,  disconcerted 
at  this  announcement.  She  had  felt  sure  he  was 
going  to  beg  her  to  write  as  often  as  possible,  and 
now  this  was  so  different! 

"I  thought  not!  You  see  our  likes  and  pur- 
suits are  so  different.  The  very  difference  in  our 
ways  of  living  now — you  with  luxurious  art  in 
New  York,  me  in  the  rugged  life  of  a  miner  in 
the  Rockies,  creates  a  gulf  between  our  ideals. 
Mine  is  getting  at  gold  that  is  the  basis  of  most 
worldly  success,  and  yours  is  an  ideal  and  aspira- 


CHOKO'S  FIND  MINE  73 

tion  in  art  that  transcends  my  common  work  and 
business.  So  we  would  not  know  what  to  say  to 
each  other  in  letters,  would  we?  You  would  not 
wish  to  speak  of  gold  and  mining,  and  I  haven'*; 
any  idea  of  art  or  its  ideals." 

What  k  must  have  cost  Tom  to  say  all  this, 
no  one  knows,  but  he  was  piqued,  at  last,  and  so 
acted  his  part  admirably;  and  he  had  the  satisfac- 
tion of  seeing  that  Polly  felt  sorry  at  his  words. 

"Tom,  I  always  felt  sure  you  were  an  idealist 
at  soul.  It  makes  me  feel  a  deep  regret  to  learn 
that  you  have  no  such  ideals  left." 

Tom  bid  Polly  good-by  without  an  outward 
sign  of  regret,  and  so  she  sat  and  pondered  over 
that  unusual  fact,  long  after  he  had  gone. 


CHAPTER  VI 

POLLY  AND  ELEANOR  BEGIN  COLLECTING 

WITHIN  a  week  after  the  westerners  had  gone 
back  home,  matters  with  Polly  and  her  friends  in 
New  York  settled  down  in  a  smooth  current. 
The  Fabians  found  a  commodious  house  in  a  re- 
fined environment  quite  near  the  Ashbys  home, 
and  the  two  girls,  Polly  and  Eleanor,  lived  with 
them. 

Mr.  Fabian  temporarily  resumed  his  lecture- 
ship at  the  Art  School  of  Cooper  Union,  and  his 
two  promising  pupils,  with  Dodo  Alexander  as 
a  new  beginner,  accompanied  him  every  night  that 
the  classes  met. 

The  Alexanders  had  leased  an  expensive  suite 
at  an  apartment  hotel  near  the  Fabians,  and  much 
to  little  Mr.  Alexander's  joy,  although  much  to 
Mrs.  Alexander's  disgust,  they  settled  down  to 
a  hum-drum  life  that  winter.  She  sighed  as  she 
referred  to  her  life. 

"Dear  sakes!  Here  I  am  with  all  this  money 
74 


BEGIN  COLLECTING  75 

to  spend  on  a  fine  time,  and  I  have  to  waste  my 
days  sitting  around  hearing  Dodo  rave  about 
Corunthian  Columns,  lonack  Piers,  and  such  fool- 
ish stuff.  As  for  Ebeneezer!  He  is  just  impos- 
sible to  get  along  with,  since  he  found  what  quiet 
friends  he  had  in  the  Fabians  and  the  Ashbys !" 

The  result  of  such  complaints  from  Mrs.  Alex- 
ander were  soon  evidenced  by  her  spending  her 
evenings  at  theatres,  dances  at  various  clubs  and 
places  she  had  forced  an  entrance  to,  and  in  daily 
shopping  trips  about  the  city. 

The  motley  collection  of  antiques  the  girls  had 
secured  while  abroad  and  had  shipped  home,  ar- 
rived in  due  season  and  the  cases  were  sent  to  Mr. 
Ashby' s  Shop.  The  girls  were  told  that  the 
goods  had  been  delivered,  and  the  next  day  they 
hastened  to  the  establishment  to  admire  their 
purchases. 

The  articles  were  arranged  in  one  small  room, 
and  when  the  three  girls  followed  Mr.  Ashby  to 
the  place,  they  were  amazed  at  the  insignificance 
of  their  exhibition. 

"Why!  I  thought  I  had  a  lot  of  stuff,"  declared 
Eleanor. 

"You  see  all  that  you  bought.  There  is  your 
list,"  laughed  Mr.  Ashby,  sympathizing  in  her 
disillusionment. 


76      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"And  I  thought  that  chest  so  much  more  elab- 
orate— when  I  chose  it  in  France,"  ventured  Polly, 
puckering  her  forehead. 

"I'll  tell  you  why,"  said  Mr.  Ashby.  "When 
we  see  these  pieces  on  the  other  side,  the  glamour 
of  the  places  and  the  stories  connected  with  them, 
actually  charm  us  more  than  the  objects  them- 
selves. After  we  secure  our  desires  and  find  we 
own  them,  we  ship  them  home  and  do  not  see  them 
again  until  they  reach  prosaic  and  business-like 
New  York. 

"Meantime,  we  enhance  the  beauty  and  ro- 
mance of  the  objects  we  purchased,  by  thinking 
of  them  in  connection  with  the  romance  of  their 
past;  thus  idealizing  them  in  mental  pictures,  they 
appear  far  finer  and  more  alluring  than  in  truth 
they  are. 

"When  we  really  view  them  again,  just  as  you 
are  now  doing,  the  shock  of  finding  them  just 
simple  antiques,  and  so  inferior  to  what  we 
dreamed  them,  reverses  our  sentiments  about 
them. 

"Now  beware,  girls  1  Don't  let  this  reversal  af- 
fect you,  in  the  least.  These  objects  are  just  as 
valuable  and  desirable,  here,  as  ever  they  were 
over  there.  It  is  only  your  personal  view-point 
that  has  changed,  somewhat.  You  have  not  been 


BEGIN  COLLECTING  77 

visiting  old  collections,  or  museums  abroad,  for 
some  weeks  now;  and  the  radical  change  from 
touring  ancient  Europe,  to  rushing  about  in  New 
York  in  quests  of  homes,  school,  and  clothes  for 
the  season,  has  made  a  corresponding  change  in 
your  minds. 

"In  a  short  time,  you  will  be  back  in  harness 
and  feel  the  same  keen  delight  in  these  old  pos- 
sessions as  aforetime." 

Polly  appreciated  the  sense  of  Mr.  Ashby's  lit- 
tle lecture,  but  Eleanor  still  felt  disappointed  with 
her  purchases.  And  Dodo  laughed  outright  at 
the  old  pewter  she  had  gone  wild  over  in  Eng- 
land, and  now  scorned  in  America. 

That  evening  Mr.  Fabian  explained,  carefully, 
about  the  times  and  customs  of  the  purchases  that 
represented  certain  people.  He  wove  a  tale  of 
romance  about  each  piece  of  furniture  the  girls 
had  delighted  in,  and  enhanced  their  interest  in 
the  dishes  and  other  small  objects  they  had  col- 
lected that  summer,  until  the  three  disappointed 
owners  felt  a  renewed  attraction  in  the  articles. 

Mr.  Ashby  was  present,  but  he  said  nothing 
until  Mr.  Fabian  had  ended.  Then  he  added  in 
a  suggestive  manner:  "Fabian,  what  do  you  say 
to  the  girls  taking  short  trips  to  the  country,  each 
week,  to  hunt  up  such  antiques  as  can  be  found 


78      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

in  out-of-the-way  nooks  all  through  New 
England?" 

The  girls  perked  up  their  ears  at  this,  and 
waited  to  hear  Mr.  Fabian's  reply. 

"If  they  had  a  car  and  someone  to  accompany 
them  on  such  excursions,  I  think  they  would  thor- 
oughly enjoy  it." 

"Dalken  has  three  cars — two  limousines,  you 
know;  and  he  told  me  that  he  wished  he  could  pre- 
vail upon  the  girls  to  make  use  of  one,  instead  of 
his  leaving  it  in  a  garage  to  eat  up  its  value  in  rent. 
I  thought  of  this  way  to  give  the  girls  many  in- 
teresting quests,  and  make  use  of  the  car  at  the 
same  time,  so  I  mentioned  it  to  him.  He  was  de- 
lighted and  wants  the  girls  to  try  the  plan,"  ex- 
plained Mr.  Ashby. 

"And  I  will  offer  myself  as  chaperone,"  hastily 
added  Mrs.  Fabian. 

"If  I  could  only  be  included  in  these  outings  I 
should  love  it,"  laughed  Nancy  Fabian. 

"You  are!  Any  one  who  belongs  to  us,  must 
consider  themselves  as  invited,"  said  Polly, 
laughingly. 

So  an  outing  for  Saturday  was  planned,  that 
night,  and  Mrs.  Fabian  and  Nancy  were  to  man- 
age the  details  for  the  girls. 

"We  will  choose  a  likely  country-side  for  our 


BEGIN  COLLECTING  79 

first  trial,"  remarked  Mrs.  Fabian,  looking  at  her 
husband  for  advice. 

"That's  hard  sense,"  laughed  he.  "But  where 
is  such  a  spot?" 

"Somewhere  in  New  England,"  ventured 
Nancy. 

"That's  as  ambiguous  as  'Somewhere  in 
France,'  "  retorted  Polly. 

"Not  when  you  consider  that  New  England 
begins  just  the  other  side  of  the  city-line  of  Port- 
Chester,"  said  Mr.  Fabian. 

"But  there  are  no  antiques  to  be  found  in  Rye, 
Portchester  or  Greenwich,  in  these  days  of  am- 
ateur collectors  hunting  over  those  sections,"  re- 
marked Mrs.  Fabian. 

"You  are  not  limited  to  those  nearby  towns; 
but  you  can  travel  fifty  miles  in  the  inland  sections 
in  a  short  time,  and  stop  at  simple  little  farm- 
houses to  inquire,  as  we  did  this  summer  while 
touring  England.  I  wager  you'll  come  home  with 
enough  trophies  of  war  to  start  you  off  again,  in 
a  day  or  two,"  explained  Mr.  Fabian. 

On  Saturday  morning,  Mrs.  Fabian  packed  an 
auto-kit  with  delectable  sandwiches,  cakes  and 
other  dainties,  and  the  party  of  amateur  collec- 
tors started  out  on  their  quest.  The  chauffeur 
smiled  at  their  eagerness  to  arrive  at  some  place 


8o      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

on  the  Boston  Post  Road  that  might  suggest  that 
it  led  to  their  Mecca.  He  kept  on,  however,  un- 
til after  passing  through  Stamford,  then  he  turned 
to  the  left  and  followed  a  road  that  seertied  to 
leave  all  suburban  life  behind,  in  a  very  short 
time. 

"Where  are  you  taking  us,  Carl?"  asked  Polly, 
curiously. 

"On  a  road  that  Mr.  Ashby  told  me  about. 
He  has  never  stopped  at  these  places,  but  he 
thinks  you  will  find  something,  along  here." 

After  several  more  miles  had  been  reeled  off, 
the  eager  and  watchful  passengers  in  the  car 
glimpsed  a  low  one-story  farm-house,  with  plenty 
of  acreage  around  it.  The  two-story  box-like  ad- 
dition built  at  the  rear  and  hooked  up  to  the  tiny 
dwelling  that  almost  squatted  on  the  road  itself, 
seemed  to  apologise  for  the  insignificance  of  its 
mother-house. 

"Slow  up,  Carl.  Let's  look  this  place  over," 
called  Mrs.  Fabian. 

The  automobile  came  to  a  stop  and  the  ladies 
leaned  out  to  inspect  the  possibilities  in  such  an 
old  place.  A  girl  of  ten  came  around  the  corner 
of  the  box-house  and  stood  gazing  at  the  people 
in  the  car. 

Carl  seemed  to  be  no  novice  in  this  sort  of  out- 


BEGIN  COLLECTING  81 

ing,  and  he  called  to  the  girl:  "Hey!  Is  your 
mudder  home?" 

The  girl  nodded  without  saying  a  word. 

"All  right!    Tell  her  to  come  out,  a  minute." 

Mrs.  Fabian  hastily  interpolated  with:  "Oh, 
we'd  better  go  in  and  ask  for  a  drink,  Carl." 

Carl  laughed.  "Just  as  you  say,  Missus.  But 
•dese  farmer  people  don't  stand  on  fussin'. 
You'se  can  ask  her  right  out  if  she  wants  to  sell 
any  old  thing  she's  got  in  the  attic  or  cellar." 

"How  do  you  know?"  asked  Polly,  smilingly. 

"  'Cause  Mr.  Dalken  got  the  fever  of  collectin' 
after  you  folks  went  to  Urope.  And  many  a  time 
I've  sat  and  laughed  at  his  way  of  getting  things." 

"Oh!  That's  why  you  knew  where  to  drive 
us,  eh?"  said  Eleanor. 

"No,  'cause  he  never  come  this  road,  yet.  He 
mapped  it  out,  once,  and  said  he  would  try  it  some 
day.  That's  why  he  told  me  which  road  to  foller 
today." 

The  girl  had  disappeared  but  was  coming  back 
by  this  time.  She  climbed  upon  the  picket  gate 
and  hung  over  it,  as  she  called  out:  "My  ma's 
,  kneadin'  bread  an'  can't  get  out,  this  minit. 
She  says  if  you  want  somethun,  fer  you  to  come 
in  and  see  her!" 

This  invitation  sufficed  for  all  five  to  instantly 


82      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

get  out  of  the  car  and  lift  the  latch  on  the  gate. 
The  girl  never  budged  from  her  perch,  but  per- 
mitted the  visitors  to  swing  her  back  as  the  gate 
was  opened. 

"Go  right  to  the  side  door,"  advised  she,  hold- 
ing on  to  the  pickets. 

As  invited,  the  collectors  went  to  the  side  door 
and  Mrs.  Fabian  knocked  timidly.  "Come  in  I" 
said  a  shrill  voice  from  within. 

The  lady  of  the  house  had  plump  arms  elbow- 
deep  in  dough.  She  glanced  up  and  nodded  in  a 
business-like  manner.  "Did  yer  come  fer  fresh 
aigs?"  asked  she,  punching  the  dough  positively. 

"If  you  have  any  for  sale,  I  should  like  to  take 
a  dozen,"  returned  Mrs.  Fabian,  politely.  Polly 
and  Dodo  stared  in  surprise  at  their  chaperone, 
but  Eleanor  and  Nancy  comprehended  at  once, 
why  this  reply  was  made. 

"Wait  a  minute,  will  yuh,  and  I'll  get  this  job 
off  my  hands  afore  I  go  fer  the  aigs." 

Eleanor  laughed  humorously  as  she  remarked: 
"It  looks  like  dough  on  your  hands." 

The  woman  laughed  appreciatively,  while  the 
others  smiled.  "That's  right!  It's  dough,  all 
right  I  s'pose  you  folks  are  from  nearby,  eh?" 

"Not  very  far  away,"  returned  Mrs.  Fabian. 
"We  are  out  on  a  pleasure  jaunt  this  morning, 


BEGIN  COLLECTING  83 

but  I  saw  your  farm  and  so  we  decided  to  ask 
your  littk  girl  if  you  were  in." 

"That's  right!  I  tole  my  man  to  put  a  sign 
out  on  the  letter-box  fer  passers-by  to  see  how  I 
had  aigs  to  sell;  but  he  is  that  procrastinatin' — 
he  puts  off  anythun'  'til  it's  too  late." 

The  woman  was  scraping  the  bits  of  dough 
from  her  hands  as  she  spoke,  and  this  done,  she 
sprinkled  flour  over  the  top  of  the  soft  lump  in 
the  pan  and  covered  it  with  a  piece  of  old  linen 
cloth.  As  she  took  it  to  a  warm  corner  behind 
the  stove,  she  added:  "Do  you'se  know!  Abe 
was  late  fer  our  weddin'.  But  I  knew  him  for 
procrastinatin',  even  in  them  days,  so  I  made 
everyone  wait.  He  come  in  an  'nour  behind  time, 
sayin'  he  had  to  walk  from  his  place  'cause  his 
horse  was  too  lame  to  ride.  That's  Abe  all  over, 
in  everythun." 

The  house-keeper  finished  her  task  and  turned 
to  her  callers.  "Now  then !  Do  yuh  like  white 
er  brown  aigs?" 

"White  ones,  please,"  returned  Mrs.  Fabian. 

The  woman  went  to  the  large  store-room  off 
the  kitchen  and  counted  out  a  dozen  eggs  in  a 
box.  When  she  came  back  she  held  them  in  one 
hand  while  waiting  for  payment,  with  outstretched 
other  hand. 


84      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"That's  a  fine  sofa  you've  got  in  the  next 
room,"  remarked  Mrs.  Fabian,  pretending  not  to 
notice  the  open  palm. 

"Yeh,  d'ye  know,  I  paid  fifteen  dollars  jus'  fer 
that  red  plush  alone?"  declared  she,  going  to  the 
door  and  turning  to  invite  her  visitors  to  come 
in.  The  box  of  eggs  was  forgotten  for  the 
time. 

The  girls  followed  Mrs.  Fabian  to  the  best 
room  that  opened  from  the  large  kitchen,  and 
to  their  horror  they  saw  that  the  sofa  referred 
to  was  a  hideous  Victorian  affair  of  walnut  frame 
upholstered  in  awful  red  mohair  plush. 

But  Mrs.  Fabian  made  the  most  of  her  optics 
the  moment  she  got  inside  the  room.  Thus  it 
happened  that  she  spied  a  few  little  ornaments 
on  the  old  mantel-shelf. 

"What  old-fashioned  glass  candle-sticks,"  said 
she,  going  over  to  look  at  the  white-glass  holders 
with  pewter  sockets. 

"Ain't  they  awful!  I've  told  Abe,  many  a 
time,  that  I'd  throw  them  out,  some  day,  and  get 
a  real  nice  bankit  lamp  fer  the  center  table,"  re- 
turned the  hostess. 

"And  won't  he  throw  them  away?"  asked  Mrs. 
Fabian,  guilelessly. 

"He  says,  why  should  we  waste  'em,  when  they 


85 

comes  in  so  handy,  in  winter,  to  carry  down  cel- 
lar fer  apples.  He  likes  'em  cuz  he  onny  paid  a 
quarter  fer  'em  an'  a  glass  pitcher,  at  an  auction, 
some  miles  up  the  road.  But  that  wuz  so  long 
ago  we've  got  our  money's  wuth  outen  them. 
Now  I  wants  a  brass  lamp  an'  he  says  I'm  gettin' 
scandalous  in  my  old  age — awastin'  money  on 
flim-flams  fer  the  settin'  room.  He  says  lamps  is 
fer  parlor  use." 

Her  repressed  aspirations  in  furnishings  made 
the  woman  pity  herself,  but  Mrs.  Fabian  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  situation. 

"I've  needed  a  pair  of  candle-sticks  for  some 
time,  and  I'll  exchange  a  lamp  for  your  auction 
bargain  which  you  say  has  paid  for  itself,  by  this 
time." 

"What!  Don't  you  want  your  lamp?"  ex- 
claimed the  lady,  aghast  at  such  a  statement. 

"Well,  I  have  no  further  use  for  one,  and  it 
would  look  lovely  on  your  marble-top  table,"  re- 
turned Mrs.  Fabian. 

"Well,  well!  How  long  will  it  take  you  to 
get  it  from  home?"  asked  the  woman,  anxiously. 

"If  you  really  wish  to  get  rid  of  the  candle- 
sticks and  jug,  I'll  leave  the  quarter  you  paid  orig- 
inally for  them  and  go  for  the  lamp  at  once. 
Maybe  I  can  be  back  in  an  hour's  time.  I'll  pay 


86      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

for  the  eggs,  too,  and  leave  them  until  I  come 
back,"  explained  Mrs.  Fabian,  graciously. 

Without  wasting  an  extra  word  or  any  precious 
time,  the  owner  of  the  rare  old  candle-sticks 
wrapped  them  in  a  bit  of  newspaper  and  went  for 
the  glass  pitcher.  Mrs.  Fabian  had  no  idea  of 
the  extra  item  being  worth  anything,  but  she  in- 
cluded it,  more  for  fun,  than  anything  else.  But 
once  they  saw  the  tiny  glass  jug  with  Sheffield 
grape-design  on  its  sides,  they  all  realized  that 
here  was  a  wonderful  "find." 

Mrs.  Fabian  seemed  uneasy  until  she  had  the 
paper  package  in  her  hand  and  had  paid  the 
twenty-five  cents  for  the  three  pieces  of  glassware. 
Then  Eleanor  made  a  suggestion. 

"Why  couldn't  we  wait  here,  Mrs.  Fabian,  and 
look  at  some  of  the  old  china  the  lady  has  in  this 
cupboard,  while  you  go  for  the  lamp.  There's 
no  sense  in  all  of  us  going  with  you." 

"That's  a  good  plan,  if  Mrs.  "     Nancy 

waited  for  the  lady  to  mention  her  name. 
I'm  Mrs.  Tomlinson,"  said  she,  politely. 

"If  Mrs.  Tomlinson  is  not  too  busy  to  show  us 
her  dear  old  house,"  added  Nancy. 

"All  right,  girls.  Is  that  satisfactory?"  asked 
Mrs.  Fabian.  "How  does  it  appeal  to  you,  Mrs. 
Tomlinson?" 


BEGIN  COLLECTING  87 

"Oh,  now  that  that  bread  is  risin',  I've  got 
time  to  burn,"  declared  the  lady,  independently. 

"All  right.  We'll  visit  here  while  you  get  the 
lamp,"  agreed  the  girls,  deeply  concerned  to  know 
where  their  chaperone  would  find  a  lamp  such  as 
Mrs.  Tomlinson  craved. 

Mrs.  Fabian  left,  and  invited  the  child  swing- 
ing on  the  gate,  to  drive  with  her  as  far  as  Stam- 
ford. The  little  girl,  pleased  at  the  opportunity, 
ran  for  her  bonnet  and  told  her  ma  of  the  won- 
derful invitation. 

Mrs.  Tomlinson  signified  her  consent  to  Sarah's 
going,  and  then  gave  her  full  attention  to  show- 
ing her  company  the  house.  "You  musn't  look  at 
the  dirt  everywhere,  ladies,"  began  she,  waving 
a  hand  at  the  immaculate  corners  and  primly- 
ordered  furniture. 

"Now  come  and  see  my  parlor,  girls.  I'm 
proud  of  that  room,  but  we  onny  use  it  Sundays, 
when  Sarah  plays  the  melodian  and  we  sings 
hymns.  Now  an'  then  some  neighbors  come  in 
evenin's,  fer  a  quiltin'-bee  in  winter;  and  I  uses  it 
fer  a  minister's  call,  but  there  ain't  no  way  to  het 
the  room  an'  it's  all-fired  cold  fer  visitin'." 

Polly  thought  of  the  ranch-house  at  Pebbly  Pit 
as  Mrs.  Tomlinson  described  the  cold  winter  eve* 
nings,  and  she  smiled  at  the  remembrance  of  how 


88       POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

she  used  to  undress  in  the  kitchen  beside  the  roar- 
ing range-fire,  and  then  rush  breathlessly  into  her 
cold  little  room  to  jump  between  the  blankets  and 
roll  up  in  them  to  sleep. 

Eleanor  laughed  outright  at  the  picture  of  a 
visiting  dominie  sitting  on  the  edge  of  a  chair  with 
his  toes  slowly  freezing,  while  his  parishionejs 
tried  in  quaking  tones  and  with  teeth  chattering 
to  entertain  him. 

But  Mrs.  Tomlinson  paid  no  heed  to  their 
laughter,  for  she  was  in  her  glory.  "Ain't  this 
some  room?"  demanded  she,  pulling  the  shades 
up  to  give  enough  light  to  admire  the  place. 

A  stained  cherry  parlor  suite  of  five  pieces  up- 
holstered in  cheap  satin  damask,  with  a  what-not 
in  one  corner,  and  an  easel  holding  a  crayon  por- 
trait of  Abe  and  his  bride  at  the  time  of  their 
wedding,  in  the  other  corner,  graced  this  best 
room.  A  few  cheap  chromos  flared  against  the 
gorgeous-patterned  wall-paper,  and  a  mantel-shelf 
was  crowded  with  all  sorts  of  nick-nacks  and  or- 
naments. Polly  seemed  drawn  to  this  shelf,  the 
first  thing,  while  the  other  girls  glanced  around 
the  parlor  and  felt  like  laughing. 

"Won't  you  sit  down,  a  minute?"  invited  the 
hostess,  but  her  tone  suggested  fear  lest  they  soil 
the  damask  with  their  dust-coats. 


BEGIN  COLLECTING  89 

Polly  had  made  a  discovery  in  that  moment  she 
had  to  look  over  the  motley  collection  on  the 
shelf. 

"This  is  a  nice  tray  you  have  standing  against 
the  wall,"  said  she,  using  Mrs.  Fabian's  tactics  to 
interest  the  hostess. 

"Yes,  that's  another  auction  bargain.  When 
Abe  fust  got  it,  the  day  I  went  fer  that  oak  side- 
board, I  got  mad.  But  I've  used  it  a  lot  sence 
then,  fer  lemonade  and  cookies,  when  comp'ny 
comes  to  visit  all  afternoon.  And  I  feels  made 
up,  /  kin  tell  you,  when  I  brings  that  tray  in  like 
all  society  does."  Mrs.  Tomlinson  chuckled  to 
herself. 

Polly  examined  the  tray  and  believed  it  a  rare 
one.  It  was  oval  in  shape,  and  had  a  stencilled 
rim  in  a  conventional  design.  The  coloring  was 
exquisite,  and  the  central  design  was  a  wonderful 
basket  over-flowing  with  gorgeous  fruit.  The 
touches  of  gold  on  the  decorations  was  the  beauty- 
point  of  the  unusual  object. 

"I've  always  wanted  just  such  a  tray,  too.  I 
wonder  if  you  know  anyone  who  has  one  and  will 
sell  it  to  me.  I'd  drive  a  long  ways  to  go  to  an 
auction  such  as  you  say  you  attended,  when  you 
bought  this  tray,"  said  Polly,  trying  to  act  in- 
different. 


90      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Laws-ee,  Miss!  I  see'd  trays  sold  at  mos1 
every  country  auction  I  goes  to.  I'd  jes'  as  soon 
sell  that  one  to  you,  if  you  like  it,  but  maybe  you'd 
think  I  was  askin'  too  much  if  I  was  to  tack  on  the 
cost  of  time  I  lost  that  day.  I  never  got  a  chanst 
to  bid  on  the  oak  side-board,  'cause  a  city  man 
felt  so  mad  at  Abe  fer  buyin'  the  tray,  that  he  run 
up  the  side-board  out  of  spite,  when  he  found  we 
wanted  it.  Ef  he'd  onny  a  said  he  wanted  the 
old  tray  he'd  cud  have  had  it  an'  welcome.  But 
he  never  told  us.  The  neighbor  who  finally  got 
the  side-board  laffed  an'  told  Abe  why  the  man, 
did  the  trick.  The  man  told  him  he'd  double- 
crossed  us  that  way." 

Polly  would  have  offered  the  woman  the  full 
value  of  the  fine  stencilled  tray,  but  Eleanor  hur- 
riedly spoke  for  her. 

"How  much  was  the  tray  with  the  cost  of  time 
tacked  on?" 

"Well,  it  won't  be  fair  to  charge  all  afternoon, 
'cuz  I  had  a  good  time  with  my  neighbors  what 
met  at  that  vendue.  But  Abe  lost  three  hours' 
work  on  the  corn  that  day  and  that  is  wuth  sixty 
cents  an  'nour,  anyway.  Tack  that  on  to  thirty- 
five  cents  fer  the  tray,  an'  you've  got  it." 

Mrs.  Tomlinson  started  counting  laboriously 
on  her  fingers  and  ultimately  reached  the  same 


BEGIN  COLLECTING  91 

total  as  the  girls  had  I  oond  fire  minutes  before. 

So  Polly  paid  over  the  munificent  sum  to  the  ladfs 
,  and  took  possession  of  the  tray. 


"Ef  I  onny  had  some  other  old  things  you  d 
like  to  get,  I  would  almost;  have  enough  money 
to  boy  a  swell  glass  lemonade  set  I  saw  down  to 
Stamford  one  day.  It  had  a  glass  tray 


and  a  dozen  painted  glasses  and  a  fine  jfmm  pitcher 
— all  f er  two  ninety-eight." 

Almost  before  the  lady  had  ended  her  »oub 
of  her  secret  ambition,  the  four  girls  lad  pounced 
upon  various  things  found  on  the  shelf.  Eleanor 
had  an  old  glass  toddy-mug  with  a  fid,  which 
used  for  a  match-holder  in  the  parlor. 

Nancy  selected  a  small  oil  lamp  wkh  a 
base  and  stem,  and  a  lovely-shaped  glass 
Mrs.  Tomfinson  informed  her  it  was  another  auc- 
tion bargain  that  cost  fifty  cents.  Being  so  ex- 
pensive they  put  it  on  the  parlor 
of  using  it. 

Dodo  Yearned  to  possess  an  old  afgjhan  she 
on  the  settee  of  the  suite  of  funuuae,  but  she 
feared  to  say  so.     Finally  she  su 
enough  to  offer  the  lady  a  price  fork  that 
Mrs.  Tomfinson  a  failure  about  the  heart. 

"My  goodness11  sakes  afire!    That's  ten 
more'tt  the  wool  ever  cost  when  the  thing. 


92      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

new.    Take  it!     Take  it,   quick,   ef  you  really 
mean  it!" 

The  girls  laughed  wildly,  for  Dodo  took  it 
quickly  and  paid  the  price  otf  ered  to  the  consterna. 
tion  of  the  sales-woman.  "Well,"  gasped  she, 
at  last,  "y°u  must  have  some  family-past  what 
has  to  do  with  knitted  covers,  is  all  I  can  say  to 
explain  you  1" 

By  the  time  the  inspection  of  the  house  wa* 
over,  Mrs.  Fabian  returned  with  just  such  a  brass 
pedestal  banquet  lamp  as  Mrs.  Tomlinson  had 
secretly  envied  and  long  hoped  for.  Such  joy  and 
pleasure  as  she  took  in  selecting  a  clean  crocheted 
mat  to  spread  on  the  cold  marble  slab  of  the 
center  table,  and  then  place  thereon  her  vision 
come  true,  was  worth  all  the  trouble  Mrs.  Fabian 
had  had  in  finding  the  lamp  at  a  second-hand  shop 
at  Stamford;  but  later  when  that  wise  collector  ex- 
amined her  old  candle-sticks  and  pitcher,  she  felt 
a  hundred  times  repaid  for  the  lamp — as  she  truly 
was. 

The  merry  collectors  started  home  that  after- 
noon, after  enjoying  the  picnic  luncheon  beside  a 
'brook  in  the  woods  back  of  Stamford,  with  their 
hopes  pitched  high  for  future  successes  in  col- 
lecting. 

Mr.  Dalken  heard  from  Carl  about  the  success- 


BEGIN  COLLECTING  93 

ful  quest  that  day,  and  telephoned  to  the  Fabians, 
that  evening.  The  Ashbys  had  hurried  over  when 
they  heard  of  the  pieces  secured  at  the  farm- 
house, and  were  present  when  Mr.  Dalken  ques- 
tioned the  girls  all  about  their  "find." 

"Now  we're  dying  to  start  again,  Mr.  Dalken, 
and  hunt  up  other  trophies,"  said  Polly,  in  con- 
clusion. 


CHAPTER  VII 

A  REVOLUTIONARY   RELIC    HUNT 

So  delighted  were  the  amateur  collectors  with 
the  result  of  their  first  search  for  antiques,  that 
they  planned  another  trip  a  few  days  later. 
Carl  could  not  drive  the  car  for  them,  as  Mr. 
Dalken  had  invited  a  number  of  business  friends 
who  were  in  New  York  for  a  few  days  to  go  out 
on  Long  Island  with  him,  for  the  day.  He  took 
the  seven-passenger  car  and  Carl  for  the  drive, 
so  the  girls  had  to  be  contented  with  the  smaller 
car.  But  neither  Mr.  Dalken  nor  Carl,  knew 
that  the  girls  proposed  going  alone.  They  be- 
lieved Mr.  Fabian  or  Mr.  Ashby's  chauffeur 
would  drive  the  car. 

Eleanor  bragged  about  her  ability  to  drive  an 
automobile  and  the  girls  knew  from  experience 
how  well  Dodo  could  drive,  so  the  outing  was 
planned  without  any  grown-up  being  consulted 
about  the  driving  or  chaperoning. 

94 


REVOLUTIONARY  RELIC  HUNT      95 

"Did  not  Carl  have  a  road-map  in  the  side- 
pocket  of  the  car,  the  day  he  drove  us  to  Stam- 
ford?" asked  Polly. 

"Yes,  but  the  car  is  in  the  garage,  and  the  map 
with  it,"  returned  Eleanor. 

"Daddy  has  a  road-map.  I'll  get  his,"  re- 
marked Ruth  Ashby,  who  had  been  invited  to  be 
one  of  the  party  this  trip. 

"Then  bring  it  around  tonight,  Ruth,  when  you 
come  to  plan  about  the  route  we  ought  to  choose 
for  this  outing,"  said  Polly. 

Ruth  hurried  home  and  immediately  after  din- 
ner, that  evening,  she  found  the  map  in  the  li- 
brary desk-drawer  and  tucked  it  in  her  pocket. 
As  she  ran  through  the  front  hall  she  called  to 
her  mother: 

"I'm  going  over  to  the  Fabians  for  a  little  talk, 
Mummy." 

"But,  Ruth,  you  just  came  from  there  a  few 
moments  before  dinner,"  came  from  Mrs.  Ashby. 

"Oh,  I  didn't  visit  that  time!  I  only  stopped 
in  with  the  girls  to  wait  and  see  if  Nancy  had  a 
map  they  all  need.  Now  I'm  going  to  visit,"  ex- 
plained Ruth. 

Mrs.  Ashby  laughed  at  a  girl's  interpretations 
of  a  call  and  Ruth  ran  out. 

Their  pretty  heads  were  closely  bending  over 


96      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

the  map,  when  Mr.  Fabian  passed  the  living-room 
door  and  stopped  a  moment  to  consider  the  pic- 
ture they  made  under  the  soft-shaded  light.  He 
went  on  to  his  private  den  without  saying  a  word 
to  distract  their  attention  from  (as  he  thought) 
their  books  of  learning. 

"Now  listen  here,  girls!"  exclaimed  Nancy, 
tracing  a  line  on  the  map.  "Polly  doesn't  know 
much  about  this  end  of  the  United  States,  and 
Eleanor  doesn't  know  much  more  than  Polly  does 
but  I  am  supposed  to  be  well  informed  about 
Westchester  County,  having  lived  there  when  I 
was  a  little  girl.  So  I  can  tell  you  something 
about  this  road  I've  traced." 

The  four  girls  lifted  their  heads  and  listened 
eagerly. 

"You  know  Dobb's  Ferry  and  its  vicinity  was 
there  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution,  and  Wash- 
ington camped  at  that  town.  Even  the  Head- 
quarters he  occupied  is  to  be  seen  as  it  was  at  that 
time.  This  road,  running  easterly  from  Dobb's 
Ferry,  is  the  old  turnpike  road  used  by  the  army 
as  it  marched  towards  the  Hudson. 

"Now  this  is  what  I  say!  Why  shouldn't 
there  be  lots  of  old  houses  along  that  road,  or  in 
that  locality,  that  were  there  during  Washington's 
time?  And  if  standing  still,  why  shouldn't  there 


REVOLUTIONARY  RELIC  HUNT      97 

be  old  furniture,  or  odd  bits,  to  be  found  in 
them?" 

Eleanor  instantly  caught  Nancy  up  on  one  of 
her  phrases.  "Naturally  the  houses  would  be 
standing  still — you  wouldn't  want  them  to  be  danc- 
ing a  tango,  would  you?" 

"Oh,  pshaw,  Nolla!"  scorned  Nancy,  in  dis- 
gust at  such  a  poor  attempt  to  joke,  "you  know, 
well  enough,  what  I  mean." 

The  other  girls  laughed  at  Nancy,  and  Polly 
added:  "Well,  what  is  your  plan?" 

"I  say,  let's  drive  along  the  River  Road  as  far 
as  Dobb's  Ferry,  and  then  turn  off  to  this  road 
and  venture  on  any  country  road  we  find,  that  has 
old-fashioned  houses  which  look  as  if  they  were 
built  in  1776." 

"That  sounds  thrilling!"  laughed  Eleanor. 

Her  companions  refused  to  smile  this  time,  so 
she  sat  grinning  at  Nancy,  as  if  waiting  to  attack 
her  again. 

"I  think  that  plan  will  answer  as  well  as  any- 
thing Nolla  has  proposed,  don't  you?"  asked 
Nancy. 

"Yes,  we'll  try  your  scheme  out,  Nan.  But 
you'll  have  to  be  the  guide  through  the  country, 
as  we  haven't  the  least  idea  of  the  lay  of  the  land," 
said  Dodo. 


98      POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"We'll  succeed  splendidly,  as  long  as  we  have 
this  map,"  promised  Nancy. 

The  girls  pictured  many  rare  treasures  added 
to  their  collection  after  this  proposed  trip,  and 
when  it  was  time  for  Ruth  to  go  home,  each  girl 
had  chosen  rare  and  wonderful  objects  to  be 
found  in  these  imaginary  Colonial  home-steads 
they  expected  to  visit  on  the  morrow. 

Classes  had  to  be  attended  to  before  excursions 
could  be  enjoyed  and  then  it  was  lunch-time;  but 
after  that  they  finally  started  on  this  trip. 

Mrs.  Fabian  was  out  with  Mrs.  Ashby,  so  the 
girls  met  no  one  who  would  question  them,  when 
they  were  ready  to  leave.  Ruth  and  Dodo  called 
at  the  Fabians  and  they  all  went  to  the  large  ga- 
rage where  Mr.  Dalken  kept  his  automobiles; 
and  the  man,  having  had  instructions  to  give  the 
car  to  these  young  friends  of  the  owner,  whenever 
they  wanted  it,  said  nothing  but  backed  the  car 
out  to  the  street  for  them. 

The  five  girls  drove  away  in  high  spirits,  for 
they  were  eager  to  harvest  all  the  marvelous  an- 
tiques they  had  ever  read  or  heard  of,  that  might 
be  scattered  throughout  the  country-sides  wher- 
ever General  Washington  had  made  a  camp  for 
his  army. 

Dodo  was  an  excellent  driver  but  she  had  no 


REVOLUTIONARY  RELIC  HUNT      99 

New  York  license,  and  the  girls  had  forgotten  all 
about  that  necessity.  So  the  car  was  speeding 
along  the  boulevarde  at  about  twenty-five  miles 
an  hour,  when  a  traffic  policeman  in  Yonkers  held 
up  his  hand  to  stop  the  northward-bound 
travelers. 

Dodo  had  just  turned  her  head  momentarily 
to  send  a  quizzical  look  at  Polly  who  sat  in  the 
back  seat,  and  so  failed  to  see  the  raised  hand. 
The  car  therefore  ran  across  the  street  and  at  the 
same  time,  a  low-built  racer  shot  along  the  right 
of  way  and  the  two  noses  rammed  each  other,  al- 
though both  drivers  used  the  emergency  brakes. 

The  girls  screamed  with  fright  at  the  unex- 
pected shock  and  the  dreadful  jolt  they  received 
when  the  cars  collided.  And  two  young  college 
students  cursed  politely  and  scowled  fearfully  at 
the  "crazy  girl-drivers"  who  never  knew  which 
way  they  were  going.  But  the  poor  cars  suffered 
the  most  from  this  conflict.  Headlights  were 
smashed,  fenders  and  mud  guards  were  so  dented 
in  as  to  look  pitiful,  while  the  front  wheels  of 
both  cars  were  interlocked  in  such  a  way  that 
they  could  not  be  separated. 

This  cause  held  up  all  traffic  on  both  streets 
and  annoyed  the  officer  so  that  he  threatened  a 
wholesale  arrest.  He  asked  the  names  of  both 


ipo    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

drivers.  The  young  man  gave  his  as  "John  Bax- 
ter, New  York."  His  license  number  was  taken, 
and  he  was  asked  for  his  permit.  He  showed  it 
without  hesitation,  and  the  girls  gazed  at  each 
other  in  dismay.  They  had  forgotten  about  such 
a  need! 

The  officer  came  over  to  Dodo's  side. 

"What's  your  name?" 

"Dodo  Alexander,"  stammered  she,  forgetting 
her  full  name. 

"Humph!     Baptized  that  name?" 

"Yes — no,  oh  NO.  I  never  was  baptized,  I 
reckon." 

"Humph — a  heathen,  I  see!"  snarled  the  po- 
liceman. "Well,  where  do  you  live,  or  where'd 
you  hail  from?" 

Eleanor  had  been  grinning  at  the  officer's  reply, 
and  now  she  could  not  withstand  the  temptation 
to  answer:  "From  the  Cannibal  Isles." 

The  crowd  standing  about  the  two  cars, 
laughed — all  but  the  policeman.  He  scowled  at 
Eleanor  and  said:  "Be  careful,  young  lady,  or 
I'll  take  you  along  for  contempt  of  court." 

"But  you  are  not  arresting  me,  and  this  is  not 
Court,"  argued  Eleanor. 

"Oh,  goodness  me !  Is  he  going  to  arrest  me  ?" 
cried  Dodo. 


REVOLUTIONARY  RELIC  HUNT     101; 

"If  you  don't  answer  my  questions  promptly, 
I'll  arrest  you,"  returned  the  officer,  severely. 

"Well,  I  am  from  Denver,  Colorado,  where 
folks  don't  fuss  like  you  do  in  the  East,  just  be- 
cause you  cross  a  street  to  get  to  the  other  side !" 
declared  Dodo,  in  self-justification. 

"From  Denver!  Got  a  New  York  license  to 
drive?"  said  he. 

"No,  I  haven't,  but  I've  driven  all  over  Eng- 
land and  the  Continent  this  Summer — as  these 
girls  will  tell  you.  They  were  in  the  party." 

"It's  nothing  to  me  whether  you  drove  up  the 
Matterhorn  and  down  the  other  side;  as  long  as 
you  can't  show  me  a  plain  old  American  license, 
you'll  have  to  pay  the  costs." 

"How  much  is  it?"  quickly  asked  Dodo,  taking 
her  purse  out  to  settle  the  bill. 

"I  don't  know.  You'd  better  follow  me  to  the 
police  station  and  we'll  see." 

Dodo  was  handed  a  little  paper  which  she  read 
aloud  to  her  horrified  companions,  and  thus,  find- 
ing themselves  arrested,  they  meekly  tried  to  fol- 
low the  blue-jacket.  But  the  cars  had  not  been 
disentangled,  although  both  boys  from  the  racer 
were  doing  their  utmost  to  clear  the  way. 

As  the  storm  raised  in  the  hearts  of  the  two 
students  by  the  carelessness  of  Dodo  abated,  both 


102    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

boys  realized  how  pretty  and  helpless  the  five  girls 
were,  so  they  began  to  feel  sorry  for  them.  Be- 
sides this,  the  front  wheels  were  now  divorced 
and  the  two  cars  backed  away  from  each  other  to 
give  room  for  the  conjested  traffic  to  pass. 

"Dear  me,"  wailed  Dodo,  "what  will  Mr. 
Dalken  say  when  he  hears  about  his  car !  I  don't 
mind  going  to  jail  or  being  made  to  pay  a  hundred 
dollars  fine,  but  to  break  up  his  automobile  the 
first  time  I  drove  it,  and  get  his  license  tag  into 
trouble — that  is  terrible !" 

Polly  laughed.  "Not  Dalkey's  license  tag, 
but  his  name — in  the  papers.  That's  what  comes 
of  being  so  well-known  in  New  York." 

"And  the  newspaper  men  will  be  sure  to  say 
that  a  party  of  joy-riders  stole  his  car  to  have  a 
little  jaunt  in  the  country,  I  suppose,"  added 
Eleanor,  teasingly. 

One  of  the  good-looking  young  students  now 
came  over  to  the  girls  and  lifted  his  cap.  "Did 
I  understand  you  to  say  this  is  Mr.  Dalken's 
car?" 

Five  girls  glowered  at  him.  Polly  snapped 
out:  "Are  you  a  reporter  from  a  city  paper?" 

John  Baxter  laughed.  "No,  I  am  his  protege. 
Mr.  Dalken  is  the  executor  of  my  father's  estate 


REVOLUTIONARY  RELIC  HUNT     103 

and  I  was  just  on  my  way  to  the  city,  to  visit  him, 
this  evening." 

"Oh  how  nice!  We  know  Mr.  Dalken  very 
well,  too.  He  is  one  of  our  best  friends,"  re- 
turned Polly,  eagerly. 

Nancy  Fabian  would  have  been  more  reticent 
had  she  been  spokeswoman  for  the  girls;  but  both 
boys  were  so  pleasant,  now,  that  they  were  intro- 
ducing themselves  to  the  girls,  hence  she  said 
nothing. 

"We'll  go  with  you  to  the  station  house  and  see 
that  the  sergeant  behaves  himself,"  suggested 
John. 

The  girls  felt  very  grateful  to  this  needed 
friend,  and  the  boys  started  their  car  after  the 
policeman,  the  girls  following  in  their  damaged 
car  that  bumped  and  jolted  on  one  side. 

When  the  inspector  learned  that  not  one  of  the 
five  girls  had  a  license  to  drive  a  car  in  New  York 
State,  and  that  the  car  belonged  to  someone  else, 
he  fined  Dodo  and  gave  her  a  good  scolding  to 
boot. 

"This  time  I'll  let  you  off  easy,  as  you  are 
green  in  the  East.  But  don't  let  it  happen  again, 
or  you'll  be  sorry.  Apply  for  a  permit  to  drive, 
as  soon  as  you  get  homev  young  lady,  and  then 


io4    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

get  a  book  of  rules  on  traffic,  and  learn  it  by 
heart." 

Dodo  meekly  paid  the  fine,  and  the  young  peo- 
ple left  the  room  with  lighter  hearts  than  they 
had  entered  it.  Both  cars  had  to  be  taken  to  a 
garage  and  put  into  running  shape  again.  Mean- 
time there  would  be  two  hours  of  waiting  on  their 
hands,  and  seven  young  folks  with  impatient  blood 
in  their  veins  to  kill  that  time. 

"I'm  sorry  you  ladies  have  been  deprived  of 
your  pleasure  drive,  but  I  might  suggest  a  little 
consolation  if  you  ever  deign  to  go  to  the  Movies," 
said  John  Baxter,  politely. 

"There's  a  good  show  up  the  street  in  that 
large  Picture  Theatre,"  added  his  friend  Andrews. 

"We  love  movies — when  they  are  good,"  ven- 
tured Eleanor. 

"What  do  you  think,  Nan?  Shall  we  go?" 
asked  Polly. 

"Oh  yes!  it  will  be  awful — waiting  about  this 
place  with  nowhere  to  go  other  than  the  Movies, 
as  you  say,"  returned  Nancy. 

So  the  two  young  men  escorted  the  five  girls 
to  the  show  where  they  forgot  their  recent  trou- 
bles in  watching  Harold  Lloyd  do  his  best  to  break 
his  neck. 

Dodo  paid  the  bill  at  the  garage  for  both  cars, 


105 

even  though  the  boys  insisted  that  they  pay  for 
their  own  damages.  But  she  replied:  "No,  the 
insurance  company  will  have  to  settle  eventually." 

The  good-natured  way  in  which  Dodo  accepted 
the  situation  more  than  convinced  the  boys  that 
these  girls  were  "bricks"  all  right!  It  was  now 
past  five,  and  the  cars  were  ready  to  go  again,  but 
the  "collectors"  found  they  had  to  go  back  to  the 
city  for  that  time,  without  having  seen  as  much 
as  a  shadow  of  an  antique. 

"What  will  you  girls  do  about  getting  home?" 
asked  Andrews. 

"Why,  drive,  of  course!"  returned  Dodo. 

"But  you  can't — you  haven't  a  license.  Neither 
has  any  one  of  the  other  girls,"  explained  Jack. 

"Oh,  we  never  thought  of  that!"  exclaimed 
Polly,  perplexed. 

"I  have  one,"  suggested  Andrews.  "I  can  get 
in  your  car,  and  one  of  you  girls  can  drive  with 
Baxter,  if  you  will.  That  will  solve  the  problem." 

"All  right,"  assented  Dodo,  getting  out  of  her 
seat  to  allow  Andrews  to  get  in. 

"Which  one  wants  to  drive  with  Jack?"  asked 
Andrews. 

Neither  girl  answered,  and  not  as  much  as  by 
a  tremor  of  the  eye-lid  did  either  show  how  de- 
lighted she  would  have  been  to  sit  beside  the  hand- 


io6     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

some  young  man  and  skim  along  the  road  to  New 
York. 

Baxter  laughed  heartily,  and  Andrews  added: 
"I  never  dreamed  that  no  one  would  care  to  drive 
with  him.  I'm  sorry,  Jack,  but  you'll  have  to 
go  alone." 

"Not  if  I  know  it!"  retorted  Baxter,  quickly. 
"I  can't  choose  when  all  are  so  desirable,  but  we 
can  cast  lots  to  see  who  will  be  my  companion." 

The  girls  thought  this  most  exciting,  and  when 
Andrews  had  shown  the  slip  of  paper  that  would 
be  the  lucky  draw,  and  then  had  folded  and  shaken 
the  slips  well  in  his  cap,  the  girls  drew.  As  each 
girl  opened  her  scrap  of  paper  to  find  it  was 
blank,  and  then  watched  the  others  try,  there  was 
great  laughter  and  anxious  waiting.  Finally 
Polly  opened  her  slip  and  found  she  had  drawn 
the  lucky  one. 

"Ha!  Isn't  Jack  Baxter  lucky,  though!" 
laughed  Eleanor.  "Not  only  gets  the  cleverest 
girl  in  the  crowd,  but  the  prettiest  one,  too !" 

"Stop  your  nonsense,  Nolla !  How  many 
times  do  I  have  to  tell  you  to  allow  me  to  live  in 
peace,  without  so  much  of  your  chaffing!"  ex- 
claimed Polly,  impatiently. 

Everyone  laughed  merrily  at  Polly's  retort,  and 
Baxter  looked  admiringly  at  the  flushed  cheeks 


REVOLUTIONARY  RELIC  HUNT     107 

and  sparkling  eyes.  He  was  most  gallant  in  as- 
sisting Polly  into  the  "boat"  as  he  called  it,  and 
then  he  jumped  in  beside  her. 

Eleanor  sat  beside  Andrews  in  the  other  car, 
and  entertained  him  with  a  highly  colored  story 
of  Polly  and  her  home  in  Pebbly  Pit.  Before 
they  reached  the  Fabian  home  in  New  York, 
young  Andrews  pictured  the  enormous  wealth  of 
"Choko's  Find"  gold  mine,  and  the  marvellous 
beauty  of  the  lava  jewels  found  in  Rainbow  Cliffs 
on  the  ranch.  To  think  that  one  girl  should  be 
lucky  enough  to  own  both  such  money-producers! 

Shortly  after  dinner  that  evening,  Mr.  Dalken 
telephoned  the  girls  and  told  them  to  come  over 
to  his  apartment  for  a  party.  He  explained  that 
he  had  two  nice  little  boys  visiting  him,  and  he 
was  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  entertain  them  so 
that  they  would  care  to  come  again,  another  day. 
Remembering  how  well  Polly  and  her  friends 
managed  other  boys,  he  felt  sure  that  they  could 
help  him  now. 

Polly  laughed  in  reply,  and  said:  "Oh  yes! 
If  one  of  those  boys  now  visiting  you,  is  anything 
like  Jack  Baxter  who  drove  me  home,  this  after- 
noon, we  won't  have  any  trouble  in  amusing 
them." 

But  Polly  never  told  Mr.   Dalken  that  Jack 


io8    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

declared  himself  so  deeply  in  love  with  her,  before 
she  had  been  in  his  car  ten  minutes,  that  she  had 
all  she  could  do  to  keep  him  at  the  wheel  instead 
of  placing  an  arm  about  her,  and  thus  stalling  the 
engine  in  the  ditch  alongside  the  main  road  to  the 
city. 

That  evening,  after  the  girls  returned  from  Mr. 
Dalken's  party,  Eleanor  remarked:  "My  good- 
ness !  Polly  has  another  scalp  to  hang  to  her  belt 
of  trophies.  If  she  keeps  on  piercing  hearts,  as 
she  has  done  this  past  year,  she'll  have  to  discard 
some  of  her  old  scalps  and  loan  them  to  us,  to 
make  room  for  her  new  ones." 

But  Polly  sniffed  loftily  at  such  foolishness,  and 
made  no  reply. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

ANOTHER   ATTEMPT  AT   COLLECTING 

ALTHOUGH  the  trip  planned  for  the  Dobb's 
Ferry  territory  had  ended  so  disastrously,  the 
girls  were  not  discouraged.  Dodo  secured  a  li- 
cense without  any  difficulty,  and  was  equipped  to 
drive  Mr.  Dalken's  car  without  being  fined  a  sec- 
ond time.  But  the  wise  owner  of  the  car  con- 
sidered it  wiser  to  send  Carl  out  on  these  excur- 
sions, instead  of  trusting  to  Fate  to  bring  the 
girls  back  home  again  without  broken  bones  or  a 
damage  suit. 

Mr.  Fabian  had  had  a  brilliant  idea,  too,  after 
he  heard  his  wife's  story  of  the  country  auction 
where  the  old  antiques  had  been  secured  by  Mrs. 
Tomlinson.  He  suggested  that  they  subscribe  to 
several  country  papers,  both  daily  and  weekly, 
and  in  that  way  they  would  learn  of  any  vendue 
advertised  in  its  columns. 

Eagerly  following  his  advice,  the  four  girls — 
Nancy  was  not  interested  in  antiques  but  was  will- 
ing to  go  around  with  her  friends  when  they  hunt- 
log 


no    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

ed  for  them — subscribed  for  the  Yonkers  papers, 
the  White  Plains  papers,  several  weeklies  in  New 
Jersey,  and  others,  in  order  to  learn  of  any  coun- 
try auctions  advertised  for  the  following  week. 

Through  this  medium,  they  read  of  a  country 
sale  advertised  for  the  following  Thursday,  to 
take  place  at  an  old  farm  home-stead  way  back 
in  the  hills  of  Westchester.  The  items  men- 
tioned included  a  mahogany  four-poster  bed,  and 
other  old  bits. 

Polly  and  Eleanor  had  not  attended  an  auction 
since  the  days  in  Paris,  and  neither  of  them  had 
ever  heard  of,  or  witnessed  a  back-farm  country- 
auction,  so  they  were  not  prepared  for  what  they 
really  experienced. 

Carl  was  detailed  to  drive  them,  that  day,  and 
Mrs.  Fabian  escorted  them,  in  the  seven-passenger 
car.  They  took  the  turnpike  road  as  far  as 
White  Plains  and  then  turned  to  the  left  to  fol- 
low a  country  road  that  would  lead  past  the  farm. 

The  sale  was  advertised  for  eleven  o'clock,  but 
the  girls  did  not  arrive  on.  the  premises  until 
twelve.  Still  no  auctioneer  was  to  be  seen  or 
heard.  Groups  of  farmers  stood  around,  gossip- 
ing about  their  crops  that  season,  and  their  wives 
sat  indoors  exchanging  notes  on  canning,  new 
neighbors,  or  babies. 


ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  in 

* 

Polly  gazed  curiously  at  the  types  assembled 
for  that  sale,  and  whispered  to  Eleanor: 
"Wouldn't  you  say  these  farmers  had  been  picked 
up  from  Oak  Creek  ranches  and  dropped  down 
here  in  this  front  door-yard?" 

Eleanor  smiled  and  nodded.  Then  she  said 
in  a  low  voice :  "They  don't  look  as  if  they  were 
here  to  buy.  We  seem  to  be  the  only  folks  here 
with  a  pocket-book." 

A  young  farmer  who  had  been  leaning  against 
the  old  well  now  came  forward  to  welcome  the 
strangers  who  stood  looking  about. 

"I  be  the  clerk  fer  the  auctionair,  but  he  hain't 
come,  yit.  His  baby  swallered  a  shet  safety-pin 
an'  they  had  an  orful  time  wid  ippycak  tryin'  to 
git  it  that  way.  Now  the  doctor's  thar  sayin' 
that  stuff  is  all  wrong.  He'll  git  the  pin,  all 
right,  'cause  I  swallered  a  quarter,  onct,  and  he 
got  it,  but  it  costed  me  a  hull  dollar  extra  to  pay 
him  fer  his  docterin'.  Ye's  kin  go  in  and  peer 
aroun'  to  see  ef  you  wants  anything." 

Mrs.  Fabian  expressed  her  sympathy  for  the 
parents  of  the  baby  and  said  she  knew  just  how 
frightened  the  mother  must  be. 

"Not  much!"  was  the  clerk's  astonishing  reply. 
"She's  young  Kit  Morehouse  what  ain't  got  a 
grain  of  sense  in  her  bean.  This  baby's  mother 


in    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

• 

died  when  it  was  a  week  old,  and  Lem  had  to  have 
someone  look  afier  it.  Thar  warn't  no  sensible 
woman  about  what  would  hev  him,  'cause  he  don't 
make  salt  fer  a  red  herrin',  seein'  his  professhun 
is  auctionin'  an'  folks  ain't  sellin'  out  like-as-much 
as  they  ust  to  be,  years  ago.  But  this  crazy  Kit 
was  onny  nineteen,  with  no  fam'ly,  er  no  payin' 
job,  so  she  hired  out  to  take  keer  of  the  kid. 
Don't  it  allus  end  like  this?  The  gal  marries 
the  father  an'  gets  mad  cause  another  woman's 
kid  is  cryin'  around!" 

The  girls  were  intensely  interested  in  this  bit 
of  local  gossip,  but  Mrs.  Fabian  thought  they  had 
heard  enough  about  "Kit,"  so  she  bid  the  clerk 
good-by  and  started  for  the  low  one-story-and- 
a-half  house. 

The  interior  presented  a  different  appearance 
from  the  home  of  Mrs.  Tomlinson's.  Every  con- 
ceivable object  ever  used  in  the  house  was  brought 
out  and  placed  in  the  front  rooms.  Women  and 
children  sat  about  on  various  sorts  of  seats,  wait- 
ing for  the  sale  to  begin.  As  most  of  the  assem- 
bly were  neighbors  and  acquainted  with  each  other, 
the  entrance  of  Mrs.  Fabian  and  her  girls,  caused 
quite  a  surprise. 

Audible  whispers  of  "Who  air  they?"  and 
"Where  did  they  come  from?"  or  "What  d'ye 


ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  113 

s'pose  they  come  to  bid  on?"  were  heard  on  all 
sides  as  the  strangers  passed  through  the  "settin' 
room." 

The  moment  Mrs.  Fabian's  party  left  the  clerk, 
outside,  he  hurried  over  to  the  automobile  where 
Carl  sat  enjoying  a  quiet  smoke. 

"Howde,"  began  Abner  Clark,  the  clerk. 

Carl  removed  his  pipe  and  nodded  non- 
chalantly. 

"Do  you-all  hail  from  about  these  parts?"  asked 
Abner. 

"I  should  say  not!"  declared  Carl,  emphat- 
ically. 

"From  whar  abouts  are  you?"  continued  the 
clerk. 

"New  York  City — and  that's  some  town,  let 
me  tell  you." 

"Yeh — so  I've  heran.  say.  How  did  yeh  get 
to  come  here  to  this  vendue  ?"  persisted  Abner. 

"I  don't  know — I'm  only  the  chauffeur.  Why 
don't  you  ask  the  ladies  if  you  are  so  anxious  to 
know?"  Carl  was  growing  angry. 

"All  right — no  harm  meant,"  replied  Abner, 
soothingly,  as  he  turned  away. 

Carl  resumed  his  pipe,  and  Abner  strolled  over 
to  the  group  of  men  sitting  on  wheel-barrows, 
ploughs,  chicken-coops,  etc.  With  a  furtive  look 


ii4    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

over  his  shoulder,  to  make  sure  the  city  driver 
was  not  listening,  Abner  began  to  explain  to  his 
interested  friends  who  the  strangers  were. 

But  he  had  not  quite  ended  his  tale  before  an 
old  buggy  drove  up  and  the  auctioneer  got  out. 
He  glanced  over  the  assembled  farmers  with  an 
appraising  eye,  and  then  carefully  hitched  the  old 
nag  to  a  tree.  This  done,  he  broke  off  a  great 
chunk  of  tobacco  from  a  cake  kept  in  a  blue  paper, 
and  popped  it  into  his  mouth. 

Abner  walked  over  to  the  white-washed  fence 
to  greet  his  superior.  "How's  the  kid?"  were 
his  first  words. 

"All  right,  now.  He  diden'  swaller  the  pin, 
after  all.  The  doctor  found  it  down  inside  his 
shirt,  an'  it  cost  me  a  dollar  besides  all  that  good 
mustard  and  eppicac,  fer  nuthin'!" 

"Well,  well!"  sympathized  Abner,  not  know- 
ing what  would  be  best  to  say  in  such  a  delicate 
case. 

"Did  yuh  keep  all  the  folks  about  when  I  sent 
word  over?"  continued  the  auctioneer. 

"Shure !  An'  we've  got  some  swell  city  buyers, 
this  time." 

City !  You  don't  mean  anyone  from  the  city'd 
want  to  buy  old  Morrisey's  trash?"  exclaimed 
Lemuel,  in  disbelief. 


ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  115 

"I  dunno  what  they  want,  but  thar's  their  man 
what  steers  the  autermobile,"  and  Abner  directed 
a  thumb  over  his  left  shoulder. 

"Wall,  wall!  Come  along;  we'll  hurry  up  to 
get  some  of  their  coin  afore  they  git  tired 
awaitin' !"  declared  the  wise  man,  as  he  made 
haste  to  reach  the  house. 

Mrs.  Fabian  and  the  girls  had  made  a  cursory 
visit  to  the  rooms  on  the  ground  floor,  and  while 
they  stood  in  the  small  kitchen  examining  various 
old  dishes  and  glassware  in  the  cupboard,  Polly 
spied  a  very  narrow  staircase  leading  to  the  attic. 

"I'm  going  up  to  see  if  there's  anything  up 
there,"  said  she.  So  without  another  word,  she 
ran  up  the  creaky  steps. 

The  girls  heard  her  walking  overhead,  and  then 
heard  her  pull  a  heavy  object  across  the  floor. 
In  another  minute  she  came  racing  down  the  steps 
at  a  break-neck  speed,  her  face  all  streaked  with 
dirt  and  her  dress  covered  with  cob-webs  and  the 
dust  of  ages. 

"Oh,  folks !  Do  come  up  and  see  what  I  found 
in  an  old  box  under  the  eaves !" 

They  needed  no  second  invitation,  and  soon  all 
were  up  beside  the  box.  There  were  many  other 
empty  boxes  standing  about  and  in  some  way  this 
particular  box  had  escaped  the  attention  of  Abner, 


n6    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE    . 

who  had  taken  the  inventory  of  the  contents  of 
the  house  and  barns. 

Polly  had  removed  the  first  object  on  top  of 
the  box  which  was  an  old  woven  coverlet  in  rare 
colorings  of  blue  and  white.  In  one  corner  was 
the  name  of  the  weaver  and  the  date  it  was  com- 
pleted. Polly  was  not  aware  that  old  woven  cov- 
erlets were  considered  very  desirable  by  collectors, 
but  she  had  read  the  date  which  showed  the  spread 
was  more  than  a  hundred  years  old,  so  she  judged 
it  was  worth  bidding  on  at  the  coming  sale. 

Directly  under  this  woven  coverlet  was  a  white 
spread.  It  was  very  old  and  torn  at  the  corners, 
but  the  rest  of  it  was  in  good  condition.  Mrs. 
Fabian  saw  at  once  that  it  was  a  spread  of  the 
finest  candle-wicking  style  she  had  ever  seen.  It 
must  have  dated  back  to  the  early  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century. 

Under  this  white  bed-spread  were  small  bundles 
of  hand-spun  linen  towels,  yellow  with  age  but  in 
perfect  condition  as  to  wear.  But  the  greatest 
find  of  all,  in  this  box,  were  the  old  brasses  in 
the  bottom. 

Wrapped  in  papers  to  keep  them  clean,  Polly 
found  a  long-handled  warming-pan;  a  set  of  fire- 
irons — the  tongs,  shovel,  and  andirons  of  the  fa- 
mous "acorn-top"  design;  and  a  funny  old  foot- 


ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  u* 

warmer.  A  pair  of  ancient  bellows  was  the  last 
article  found  in  the  box,  but  the  leather  was  so 
dry  and  old  that  pieces  fell  out  when  Polly  tried  to 
make  the  bellows  work. 

"I  must  go  right  down  and  tell  that  clerk  about 
these  wonderful  things.  They  must  have  over- 
looked them  when  they  listed  all  the  other  articles 
in  the  house,"  said  Mrs.  Fabian. 

Eleanor  held  her  back  and  said:  "You'd  bet- 
ter not  tell  him  the  news  in  that  excited  manner. 
He'll  understand  at  once,  that  these  things  are  de- 
sirable, and  then  we'll  have  to  pay  well  for  them." 

"You're  right,  Nolla!"  laughed  Nancy,  and 
her  mother  admitted  as  much. 

"Why  couldn't  we  just  take  them  down  to  the 
kitchen  and  pile  them  on  the  table.  No  one  will 
know  that  we  want  them,  and  should  anyone  ask 
what  we  were  doing  up  here  and  by  what  right  we 
carried  them  down  from  the  attic,  we  can  honestly 
say  that  Abner  said  we  could  go  over  the  house 
and  see  if  there  was  anything  we  liked  to  buy," 
said  Polly,  with  a  collector's  instinct  for  not  pay- 
ing extortionate  prices  for  what  she  wanted. 

The  girls  laughed,  but  each  one  caught  up  some 
object,  and  having  gathered  all  safely  in  their 
arms,  they  started  down.  The  kitchen,  being  the 
least  desirable  room  to  visit,  in  the  fanner's  wife's 


n8     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

judgment,  no  one  was  there  when  Mrs.  Fabian 
and  the  girls  returned  to  it.  Their  discoveries 
were  piled  on  the  old  drop-leaf  table,  and  they 
grouped  themselves  at  the  doorways  to  keep 
guard  over  the  prizes. 

A  loud  voice  was  shouting  at  the  open  front 
door,  saying:  "This  are  the  terms  of  the  sale: 
Everything  bid  on  's  got  to  be  paid  fer  the  same 
day  and  removed  from  the  premises  in  twenty- 
four  hours — all  but  th'  barn-stock.  You'se  kin 
take  forty-eight  hours  fer  them.  I  expecks  every- 
one to  pay  cash  fer  anything  they  buy,  'cause  I 
got  enough  trouble  at  that  last  sale  at  Hubbells' 
when  a  lot  of  you  folks  bid  on  stuff  an'  then  went 
home  an'  left  it  on  my  hands.  Hubbell's  son  had 
to  give  'em  away  at  last,  and  I  lost  all  that  com- 
mission. So,  none  of  that,  at  this  vendue  1" 

Some  of  the  assembled  people  looked  guilty, 
and  the  auctioneer  rode  rough-shod  over  their 
feelings.  "Anudder  thing:  Don't  haggle  on  a 
cent!  When  I  call  out  a  decent  bid  on  a  thing, 
raise  it  a  nickel,  at  least,  if  you  wants  it.  This 
cent  business — and  at  Hubbell's  vendue,  some  of 
you'se  even  bid  half  a  cent  at  a  time — makes  me 
tired!  If  a  thing  ain't  wuth  a  cent  more  to  yeh, 
then  let  it  go  to  the  other  feller  what  wants  it!" 

The  girls  laughed  at  this  frank  statement  of 


ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  119 

sense,  and  Lemuel  turned  to  see  who  had  appre- 
ciated his  speech.  When  he  saw  the  city  people 
Abner  had  mentioned,  he  felt  warmed  all  through, 
for  he  felt  sure  he  would  earn  some  commissions 
that  day. 

"Our  first  number  is  in  th'  kitchen.  Ab,  kin 
we  get  in  thar,  er  had  we  better  hold  the  stuff 
out  here?"  asked  Lemuel. 

"I  can't  hold  up  the  kitchen  stove,  kin  I  ?"  asked 
Abner,  in  an  injured  tone. 

The  people  laughed  heartily,  Mrs.  Fabian's 
party  joining  more  appreciatively  than  anyone. 

"All  right,"  answered  the  auctioneer,  in  a  mat- 
ter-of-fact voice.  "We'll  try  to  crowd  in.  But 
don't  anyone  what  don't  want  to  bid  on  kitchen 
stuff,  come  and  use  the  room  from  others!" 

It  seemed  that  his  very  warning  acted  contrari- 
wise for,  to  the  girls,  it  looked  as  if  everyone  on 
the  premises  tried  to  crowd  into  that  small  room. 
Being  first  on  the  ground,  they  fared  best  for 
place.  Mrs.  Fabian  mounted  the  steps  leading  to 
the  attic  and  advised  the  girls  to  get  up  on  the 
table,  chairs,  or  other  solid  objects,  to  be  able  to 
look  over  the  heads  of  the  crowd. 

"Now,  Ab,  what  you  got  first?"  asked  the  auc- 
tioneer. 

"Abner  had  his  little  book  of  items,  and  finding 


120    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

the  table  the  first  number  inventoried,  he  called 
out:  "Deal  table  and  contents!" 

Now  Polly  stood  on  the  table,  and  all  the  cov- 
ers had  been  thrown  upon  it,  also,  so  when  Abner 
shouted  out  "table  and  contents"  Lemuel  laughed 
loudly. 

"Say,  one  of  them  contents  is  a  mighty  pooty 
gal,  I  kin  tell  yuh !  I'll  begin  bidding  myself,  on 
such  a  bargain!" 

The  country-folks  laughed  wildly  at  such  a  fine 
joke,  and  Polly,  eager  to  own  the  other  valuable 
contents,  smiled  with  them  and  nodded  her  head 
at  the  salesman.  He  was  not  aware  that  she 
meant  she  would  bid,  for  his  customers  always 
shouted  forth  their  bids.  Then  a  man  asked: 
"What  sort  of  contents  is  thar?" 

Abner  pushed  his  way  through  the  crowd  to 
open  the  drawer  in  the  table  and  enumerate  the 
small  ware  mentioned  as  "contents,"  when  he 
saw,  to  his  surprise,  that  there  was  a  heap  of  cov- 
ers on  the  table. 

He  picked  them  up  and  stared  at  them  in  dumb- 
founded amazement,  then  said:  "Say,  Lem, 
here's  them  old  bed-quilts  we  had  sech  a  job 
huntin'  up.  Whar  the  heck'd  they  come  from, 
I'm  sure  I  dunno  I" 


ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  121 

"You  got  'em,  eh?  Well,  they  ain't  listed,  so 
Sell  'em  fust.  I'll  mark  them  an  'A'  lot.  Who 
wants  to  bid  on  a  ole  bed-spread?"  called  Lemuel. 

Had  the  women-folk  known  of  bedding  to  be 
sold  in  the  kitchen,  there  would  have  been  a  mad 
rush  for  it.  But  most  of  them  were  waiting  for 
the  blankets  and  comfortables  found  in  the  two 
small  bed-rooms  annexed  to  the  parlor.  So  but 
few  were  in  the  kitchen  when  the  old  candle-wick* 
ing  spread  was  bid  on  by  Polly,  and  knocked  down, 
to  her  for  a  dollar-ninety. 

Eleanor  got  the  blue  and  white  woven  coverlet 
for  a  dollar  and  a  half,  and  Mrs.  Fabian  bought 
the  linen  towels  "in  a  lot"  for  two  dollars.  The 
old  brasses  that  were  also  listed  as  an  "A"  lot 
were  knocked  down  as  follows:  Polly  bought 
the  ancient  foot-warmer  for  sixty  cents;  Eleanor 
secured  the  warming-pan  for  a  dollar,  and  Dodo, 
the  set  of  fire-irons  with  acorn  tops,  for  three 
dollars.  These  undreamed-of  bargains  elated  the 
girls  so  that  they  lost  all  discretion  for  a  time. 

"Now  that  we've  cleared  them  things  out  of 
our  way,  we'll  sell  the  table,"  said  Lemuel,  and 
forthwith  he  gave  the  table  to  a  fanner  for  fifty 
cents. 

"What  'che  got  next,  Ab?"  asked  he. 


122    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Some  kitchen  dishes,"  replied  Abner,  as  he 
opened  the  cupboard  and  displayed  several  sam- 
ples of  blue  ware. 

Eleanor  saw  the  familiar  pattern  of  the  pa- 
godas and  willows  that  are  found  on  old  willow- 
ware,  and  instantly  decided  that  these  must  be 
rare  antiques  because  they  were  found  in  the  same 
house  as  the  ancient  objects  just  acquired  by  her 
and  her  friends.  So  she  raised  the  first  bid  of 
ten  cents  for  eight  odd  pieces,  to  a  dollar. 

The  auctioneer  gasped.  He  gazed  at  Eleanor 
and  said  faintly:  "Did  you  bid  a  dollar?" 

"Of  course!" 

"All  right,  Miss,  you  kin  have  them,  but  pay 
me  now  fer  them,  and  don't  come  back  naggin' 
me  to  say  I  stuck  you  wid  cracked  plates,  and 
nicked  saucers.  You  saw'd  them  afore  you  bid!" 

Eleanor  laughed,  and  handed  over  a  dollar  bill, 
but  Mrs.  Fabian  tried  to  catch  her  eye  to  warn 
her  not  to  bid  recklessly  on  other  things.  Polly 
stood  up  on  the  table  wondering  why  Eleanor  got 
the  old  kitchen  dishes. 

The  moment  Lemuel  had  the  dollar  safely  in 
his  pocket,  he  remarked:  "Gee!  I'm  goin'  out 
of  this  second-hand  sellin'  and  lay  in  a  stock  of 
ten-cent  blue  dishes  to  sell!" 

One    of    the    farmers    haw-hawed    and    said: 


ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  123 

"That's  how  Coolworth  made  so  much  money  I 
Gettin'  so  much  cheap  stuff  and  findin'  a  pack  of 
silly  women  to  buy  'em." 

Eleanor  tossed  her  head,  but  had  she  kept  quiet 
she  would  not  have  been  the  object  of  pity  she 
found  herself,  afterward.  In  self-justification  of 
her  purchase,  she  called  out :  "You  people  don't 
know  genuine  old  Wedgewood  when  you  see  it. 
I've  got  a  big  bargain  in  those  eight  plates  I" 

At  that  statement,  a  quiet  young  fellow,  who 
had  been  standing  about  watching  progress  and 
noting  the  bids  on  a  paper,  laughed.  "I  don't 
want  anyone  to  say  they  was  taken  in  at  my  folk's 
sale ;  but  I  got'ta  tell  that  young  lady  that  I  bought 
them  blue  dishes  myself,  last  year,  at  the  tea-store 
in  White  Plains  fer  ten  cents  each." 

Even  Polly  had  to  join  in  the  laugh  at  Eleanor's 
expense  now,  and  poor  Nolla  felt  like  selling  her- 
self for  a  nickel.  But  the  auctioneer  had  scant 
time  for  jokes  or  reckless  buyers  as  he  was  there 
for  business.  So  he  finished  the  kitchen  and 
called  them  into  the  parlor.  Here  Polly  secured 
a  china  dog  such  as  were  common  sixty  to  eighty 
years  ago;  Eleanor  got  a  real  bargain,  this  time, 
in  buying  two  century  old  flower-vases  for  fifty 
cents.  Mrs.  Fabian  saw  an  old  engraving  of 
"Washington  Crossing  the  Delaware,"  as  it  was 


124    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

taken  from  the  wall  behind  the  door,  and  offered 
for  a  quarter.  On  the  spur  of  the  moment  she 
raised  the  bid  five  cents  and  got  the  picture  which 
later  proved  to  be  one  of  the  rare  old  originals, 
worth  several  hundred  dollars. 

Dodo  ran  up  a  pair  of  girandoles  that  stood  on 
the  narrow  mantel-shelf  in  the  front  room,  and 
finally  got  them  for  three  dollars.  Such  an  un- 
heard-of price  made  the  buyers  look  at  her  in 
pity,  and  Lemuel  remarked: 

"Well,  some  folks  has  more  money  than  sense !" 

Dodo's  friends  laughed  heartily  at  this  crit- 
icism, but  she  cared  little  for  them  all,  because 
she  knew  what  she  had  obtained  for  her  money. 

The  two  bed-rooms  were  so  small  that  few  peo- 
ple could  get  in,  so  the  auctioneer  ordered  Abner 
to  carry  the  articles  for  sale,  out  on  the  lawn 
where  everyone  could  see  them.  Had  it  not  been 
for  this  sensible  advice,  Polly  would  never  have 
seen  or  secured  the  fine  old  set  of  Staffordshire 
toilet-ware  that  was  knocked  down  to  her  for  four 
dollars. 

It  consisted  of  ewer  in  quaint  shape,  basin  deep 
enough  to  be  a  huge  punch-bowl,  a  soap-plate,  a 
mug,  and  a  commode.  The  rich  deep  coloring  of 
the  design  on  the  china  was  lovely,  and  every  piece 
was  in  good  order. 


ANOTHER  ATTEMPT  125 

The  young  man  who  had  told  the  truth  about 
the  eight  dishes  from  the  tea-store,  congratulated 
Polly  and  said:  "That  set  has  been  in  our  fam- 
ily for  more'n  a  hundred  years.  My  grand- 
mother used  to  keep  it  fer  show,  er  when  we  had 
fine  comp'ny  comin'  to  see  us.  That's  how  it 
kept  so  good." 

"Oh,  don't  you  want  to  keep  it,  then?"  asked 
Polly,  regretfully. 

"Nah,  I'm  goin'  west  on  the  money  I  git  outen 
this  sale,  an'  I'd  ruther  see  someone  what  likes  it 
own  it,  than  any  old  clod-hopper  about  these 
parts!" 

Polly  felt  sure  the  owner  had  not  been  lovingly 
treated  by  the  people  he  glanced  at  as  he  spoke. 
But  she  learned,  just  before  leaving  the  place  that 
afternoon,  that  he  felt  so  antagonistic  against  his 
neighbors,  because  of  their  frank  criticism  of  his 
habit  of  spending  his  inheritance. 

Because  of  this  unwise  recklessness,  he  had  had 
to  mortgage  the  old  farm,  and  when  the  proceeds 
of  that  had  been  spent,  he  had  to  sell  out.  "Per- 
haps his  going  west,  where  he  would  have  to  work 
hard  for  his  living,  would  be  his  salvation,  after 
this,"  thought  Polly. 

Mrs.  Fabian  allowed  the  girls  to  watch  the  sale 
until  the  contents  of  the  house  were  sold  out  and 


126    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

then  she  suggested  that  they  start  back  home. 
The  bargains  were  carefully  placed  between  the 
coverlets  purchased,  and  then  the  buyers  got  in 
the  car. 

The  country-people  were  all  crowding  to  the 
barns  to  bid  on  stock  and  farm-utensils  when  Carl 
started  the  engine.  With  a  last  look  at  the  little 
house  where  they  had  found  their  interesting  an- 
tiques, the  collectors  left. 


CHAPTER  IX 

POLLY  S    HUNT   IN   'JERSEY 

THE  collectors  took  several  long  trips,  after 
the  vendue  in  Westchester  County,  but  found 
nothing  of  value  at  any  place. 

Still  they  lived  in  hopes,  and  towards  the  last 
of  October,  Polly  suggested  that  they  try  New 
Jersey  for  a  change.  A  girl,  who  attended  Art 
Classes  told  Polly  of  several  very  old  places 
within  the  vicinity  of  Springfield  and  Morristown 
— both  old  Revolutionary  towns  of  historic  fame. 

So  Carl  drove  up  to  the  Fabian  home  early  one 
Saturday  morning,  and  Mrs.  Fabian  with  her 
party,  hurried  out  with  luncheon  and  wraps,  and 
were  soon  speeding  away  for  the  ferry-boat  that 
would  take  them  across  the  North  River. 

The  girls  had  never  been  in  New  Jersey,  and 
found  much  to  admire  in  the  picturesque,  rolling 
land  of  the  Jersey  Hills.  They  left  Newark  be- 
hind, and  drove  along  the  Union  Turnpike  road 
until  they  reached  the  Forks.  Here  they  turned 

127 


128     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  .VENTURE 

to  the  left  and  in  a  short  time,  were  going  through 
the  ancient  town  of  Springfield. 

They  were  already  past  it,  before  Mrs.  Fabian 
found  what  place  it  was.  Then  they  laughed, 
and  turned  back  again  to  visit  a  shop  on  the  main 
street.  Mrs.  Fabian  got  out  of  the  car  and  went 
in  to  question  the  proprietor. 

"Do  you  know  of  any  old  houses,  near  here, 
where  one  can  secure  old  bits  of  furniture,  or  an- 
tique objects?" 

The  man  chuckled.  "Say,  Madam,  if  I  have 
one  person  ask  me  that  same  question,  I  have 
dozens  stop  to  question  me.  I  tells  them  all,  the 
same  as  I  tells  you  now — the  only  antique  I  can 
send  them  to  anywhere  about  Springfield,  is  that 
old  church  on  the  corner,  where  you  can  see  the 
hole  blown  in  the  side  by  a  cannon  ball,  when  the 
British  were  here.  And  over  yonder,  you  will 
find  a  burial  ground  where  many  old  Indians  are 
buried,  with  their  stone  arrow-heads  and  other 
trophies  with  them.  The  crumbling  grey-stone 
slabs  and  the  ancient  tombs  found  there,  will  give 
you  the  dates.  Some  go  as  far  back  as  two  hun- 
dred, or  two  hundred  and  fifty  years." 

Mrs.  Fabian  thanked  him  and  returned  to  the 
girls  to  repeat  the  conversation  she  had  had  with 
the  shop-keeper.  They  all  declared  for  a  visit 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY       129 

to  the  old  church,  and  then  to  the  cemetery,  so 
Carl  drove  back  and  they  visited  both  places. 

In  the  ancient  burial  ground,  they  read  many 
queer  epitaphs  on  the  head  stones,  and  some  of 
these  the  girls  copied  down.  Then  they  got  back 
in  the  automobile  and  Carl  was  told  to  drive  on 
to  Morristown. 

This  place  was  found  to  be  so  dreadfully  mod- 
ern, that  no  hope  of  discovering  antiques  was  left 
alive  in  their  hearts.  But  it  was  noon  and  they 
were  hungry,  so  they  discussed  the  advisability  of 
going  to  a  lunch-room,  or  driving  into  the  coun- 
try and  having  the  picnic  lunch. 

"As  long  as  we  brought  such  a  nice  luncheon 
with  us,  why  stop  at  a  hotel  or  restaurant  to  eat?" 
asked  Polly. 

"There  really  isn't  any  sense  in  doing  that,  but 
there  certainly  isn't  any  picnic  place  in  this  town," 
declared  Eleanor. 

"Well,  then  let's  start  out  and  find  one  away 
from  here,"  suggested  Polly. 

"I'll  make  another  proposition,  girls,"  said 
Mrs.  Fabian.  "Why  not  stop  at  that  Public  Li- 
brary we  just  passed,  and  find  out  if  there  are 
any  notable  spots  in  the  vicinity  of  this  town, 
where  we  might  find  old  houses  or  old  objects?" 

"Well,  the  idea  is  good,  but  really,  Mrs.  Fa- 


i3o    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

bian,  this  town  impresses  me  most  emphatically 
with  this  fact:  that  the  residents  have  as  much 
desire  for  antiques  as  we  have;  and  most  likely, 
they  started  in  years  before  we  ever  were  born, 
to  rake  over  the  country-side,  which  must  have 
been  rich  with  old  furniture  and  other  things 
from  Washington's  days  here,  so  as  to  collect  all 
those  things  for  themselves,"  was  Dodo's  sensible 
remark. 

The  others  smiled  at  her  practical  words,  and 
Mrs.  Fabian  agreed  with  her.  "But  it  will  do 
no  harm  to  stop  just  a  moment  to  ask  the  attend- 
ant at  the  Library  if  she  knows  of  any  place  in 
New  Jersey  where  we  might  indulge  our  craze 
of  collecting." 

Carl  then  turned  around  and  they  were  soon 
back  at  the  Library.  The  girls  remained  in  the 
car  while  Mrs.  Fabian  went  indoors  to  ask  ques- 
tions of  the  agreeable  lady  at  the  desk. 

"I'm  sure  you  will  find  a  few  old  bits,  here  and 
there,  about  the  country-side,"  said  the  lady,  in 
reply  to  Mrs.  Fabian's  questions.  "In  fact,  my 
friend  furnished  her  old-fashioned  house  that  she 
recently  bought  of  an  old  1776  family,  by  driving 
about  through  the  Mendham  country,  down 
through  New  Vernon  and  Baskingridge — all  fa- 
mous Revolutionary  places,  you  know — and  by 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY      131 

visiting  places  as  far  away  as  Bound  Brook,  Plain- 
field,  and  the  country  about  Trenton.  I  was 
amazed  at  the  number  of  old  things  she  managed 
to  secure." 

Being  given  a  pencil  sketch  of  what  roads  to 
follow  to  reach  Mendham,  or  Baskingridge,  Mrs. 
Fabian  thanked  her  informer  most  graciously. 
Suddenly  the  lady  said : 

"Now  that  you  are  in  town,  why  not  drive  down 
to  a  little  auction  room  I've  heard  of,  just  off 
Washington  Street,  and  see  if  you  can  find  any- 
thing in  that  Paradise  for  old  stuff?" 

"We  will!  Where  is  it,  and  how  do  we  get 
there?" 

"The  man's  name  is  Van  Styne,  and  he  used  to 
be  a  magnet  for  attracting  the  oldest  pieces  to 
his  store-rooms!  People  used  to  commission 
him  when  they  wanted  anything  in  particular,  and 
in  some  super-natural  manner,  he  used  to  have  it 
for  them  in  a  few  days'  time.  It  would  have 
taken  ordinary  individuals  years,  with  plenty  of 
money  and  energy,  to  accomplish  the  same  result." 

Again  Mrs.  Fabian  thanked  her  interested  in- 
former, and  left  the  library.  The  girls  were  told 
of  the  conversation  and  they  all  voted  to  go  to 
Van  Styne's  old  auction  rooms  first,  and  then  try 
to  locate  an  old  farm-house  along  the  road  to 


i32    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Mendham,  or  in  the  opposite  direction,  towards 
Baskingridge. 

The  building  where  "Van  Styne — Auctioneer 
and  Appraiser"  had  his  sign  displayed,  for  the 
public's  guidance,  was  a  long  low  place  that  had 
been  used  as  the  carriage  house  of  "Liberty  Sta- 
ble" years  before.  The  tiny  windows,  high  up 
in  a  row  along  the  front  were  stall-marks  that  told 
what  it  had  been  in  the  past.  Now  it  was  an 
"Emporium"  for  all  who  needed  second-hand  fur- 
niture at  a  bargain;  or  for  those  who  sought  an- 
tiques of  any  kind,  to  add  to  their  amateur 
collections. 

Mr.  Van  Styne  was  a  white-haired,  long-whisk- 
ered, thin  man  who  sat  tilted  back  in  a  broken- 
through  rush-bottom  chair  that  had  never  had  a 
bid  at  his  weekly  auctions,  hence  it  was  put  to 
some  use  in  his  office  to  pay  for  storage.  His  feet 
were  resting  on  the  flat-table-desk  in  front  of  him, 
and  he  was  sweetly  snoring  when  the  girls  opened 
the  door  of  the  room. 

Such  an  unheard  of  thing  as  customers  in  the 
early  part  of  the  afternoon,  caused  him  to  jump 
up  and  remove  his  aged  straw  hat  that  had  been 
tilted  over  his  eyes  to  keep  out  the  sun-light. 

"We  came  to  see  if  we  could  find  anything  in 
your  salesroom,"  began  Mrs.  Fabian,  noting  the 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY       133 

dust  that  lay  thick  on  everything,  and  the  heaped 
up  motley  collection  of  family  possessions  dis- 
played in  the  long  adjoining  stable-room. 

"What  kind  of  furniture  do  you  need?"  asked 
he,  stifling  a  yawn. 

"Why,  anything  old  enough  to  be  interesting. 
We  heard  that  you  were  a  wizard  in  finding  an- 
tiques for  people." 

The  proprietor  disclaimed  such  power,  and  said 
with  a  grin  that  displayed  several  gaps  in  his  yel- 
lowed teeth,  "You  can  mosey  about,  out  there,  to 
your  heart's  content.  If  you  find  anything  likely, 
call  me  an'  I'll  tell  you  what  it's  wuth." 

He  waved  his  arm  to  the  long  stacked-up  store- 
room, and  then  sat  down  again.  In  another  mo- 
ment his  feet  were  up  on  the  desk  and  his  hat 
tipped  down  over  his  eyes.  His  hands  were 
calmly  folded  over  his  waist-coat  and  he  settled 
down  to  snooze,  once  more. 

The  girls  giggled  aloud  and  hurried  after  Mrs. 
Fabian  to  keep  from  laughing  outright  at  the  am- 
bitious salesman.  They  prowled  about  and  pulled 
out  lots  of  things,  and  examined  many  other  old 
articles  soiling  their  gloves  and  dresses,  without 
finding  a  thing  that  was  of  any  value. 

Finally  Polly  dragged  out  an  old  walnut  chest 
of  drawers  to  see  what  was  stored  back  of  it,  that 


i34    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

kept  it  so  far  away  from  the  wall.  She  discov- 
ered a  group  of  large,  framed  pictures  standing 
against  the  wall,  evidently  forgotten  by  the  auc- 
tioneer, as  they  were  covered  with  a  thick  coating 
of  dust. 

"Come  and  help  me  lift  these  out,  will  you, 
Nolla?"  called  Polly,  as  Eleanor  stood  waiting 
for  something  new  to  look  at. 

In  another  moment,  both  girls  were  hauling  out 
the  mass  of  pictures,  whose  wires  and  screw-eyes 
were  so  entangled  that  to  get  at  one,  you  had  to 
drag  all  out  at  the  same  time. 

"My  goodness!  Just  look  at  our  hands!"  ex- 
claimed Eleanor,  holding  up  such  dirty  hands  that 
Polly  laughed. 

"The  result  of  digging!"  said  she,  managing 
to  separate  one  smaller  frame  from  the  others. 

As  she  turned  it  over  to  study  the  picture,  she 
was  greatly  disappointed  to  find  it  had  an  old, 
cheap,  stained  frame.  The  picture  seemed  non- 
descript to  her.  It  was  a  scene  of  an  old  bridge 
with  fine  old  trees  on  both  banks  of  the  river. 
Quaintly  costumed  people  strolled  along  both 
sides  of  the  stream,  and  a  funny  tower  rose  at  the 
further  end  of  the  bridge.  The  colors  were  crude 
and  primary — no  fine  shading  or  artistic  handling 
to  be  seen.  A  title  under  the  picture,  and  several 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY       135 

inscriptions  in  French  at  the  left  side  of  the  bot- 
tom, were  so  stained  and  blurred  as  to  be  totally 
unreadable  with  the  naked  eye. 

Meantime,  Eleanor  had  managed  to  free  the 
next  frame,  which  was  a  huge  affair  of  old  mahog- 
any. The  glass  was  so  dreadfully  dusty  that  not 
a  bit  of  the  picture  underneath  could  be  seen. 
She  looked  about  for  something  to  use  as  a  duster, 
and  saw  an  old  end  of  chenille  curtain  on  the  wal- 
nut dresser.  This  she  used  and  wiped  away  as 
much  of  the  dirt  as  would  come  off  with  hard 
work — the  rest  must  have  hot  water  and  soap. 

"Well,  I  declare!  Look  at  this  old  engrav- 
ing!" called  she  to  the  others.  Polly  was  at  hand, 
and  saw  that  Eleanor  had  actually  found  a 
treasure. 

Mrs.  Fabian  hurried  across  the  room  and  took 
her  magnifying  glass  from  her  handbag  being  al- 
ways prepared  with  it  in  case  of  need  to  study 
signatures  and  other  nearly  effaced  trade-marks. 

The  large  engraving  represented  the  Independ- 
ence Hall  at  Philadelphia,  and  under  that  was  the 
famous  Declaration  of  Independence,  with  all  the 
original  signatures  following.  The  picture  of  the 
Hall  was  engraved  on  a  smaller  bit  of  paper  and 
had  been  mounted  at  the  top  of  the  printed  matter. 
The  engraving  was  signed  by  the  engraver,  and 


136    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

dated.  Affidavits  at  the  bottom  of  the  parchment 
paper  stated  that  this  was  one  of  the  original  doc- 
uments made  by  Order  of  Congress  for  use  in 
the  Government  Buildings  so  that  the  first  original 
paper  and  signatures  could  be  preserved  as  a  relic, 
by  the  United  States. 

"Why,  this  wonderful  old  paper  is  more  than 
a  hundred  and  thirty  years  old !"  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Fabian  amazed. 

"My  goodness  me!  How  much  do  you  sup- 
pose I  shall  have  to  pay  to  get  it?"  gasped 
Eleanor. 

"I  don't  know,  but  you  really  ought  to  shake 
that  dirty  rag  thoroughly  over  the  glass  again,  to 
hide  what  is  under  it,"  advised  Dodo,  with 
astuteness. 

The  others  laughed.  But  Polly  had  another 
suggestion  to  make.  "Let's  see  what  else  we  can 
find  in  this  stack  of  pictures.  We  will  choose  a 
number  of  them  and  then  make  an  offer  on  the 
lot,  as  much  as  to  say  we  need  bargain-frames  for 
other  uses.  This  rare  find  of  Nolla's  will  be 
hidden  in  with  the  rest." 

"Polly's  idea  is  best.  Because  the  old  man 
will  know  that  we  wouldn't  buy  a  picture  with  all 
the  dust  covering  the  glass,"  said  Nancy  Fabian. 


A  CRY  FROM  POLLY  CAUGHT  THEIR  FULLEST  ATTENTION. 
Polly't  Buiinets   yenture.  Page   139 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY       137 

"What's  the  little  old  one  you've  got  in  your 
hands,  Polly?"  now  asked  Mrs.  Fabian. 

"Oh,  nothing  much.  It  looks  like  an  ugly  lit- 
tle chromo  printed  before  people  knew  how  to 
use  colors  on  printing-presses." 

Mrs.  Fabian  leaned  over  Polly's  shoulder  to 
take  a  look,  and  puckered  her  forehead  when  she 
saw  the  yellowed  paper  and  old  stained  edges  of 
the  picture. 

"Polly,  I  verily  believe  that  here  you  have 
something  that  Mr.  Fabian  has  lectured  on  sev- 
eral times.  Let  me  examine  it." 

While  the  girls  crowded  about  her,  Mrs.  Fa- 
bian placed  the  picture,  face  downwards,  on  the 
table  near  by  and  tried  to  draw  out  the  old  head- 
less tacks  driven  in  to  hold  the  backboard  snugly 
in  its  place. 

"Well,  whoever  framed  this  picture  did  it  for 
all  time!"  exclaimed  she,  breaking  several  finger- 
nails and  tearing  the  skin  on  her  hands  in  the  at- 
tempt to  loosen  the  fine  steel  nails. 

"Here !  I've  found  an  old  pair  of  broken  scis- 
sors in  this  desk — let's  use  them  to  clinch  the  nails 
and  force  them  out,"  said  Nancy,  handing  her 
mother  the  shears. 

With  this  assistance,  Mrs.  Fabian  soon  had  the 


i38    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

nails  out  and  then  carefully  removed  the  old  sec- 
tions of  thin  boards.  Under  the  boards  was  a 
yellowed  news-paper,  folded  neatly,  and  so 
wedged  in  at  the  edges  of  the  frame  that  no  dust 
could  work  a  way  through  to  the  picture.  With- 
out a  thought  of  the  paper,  Mrs.  Fabian  took  it 
out  and  expected  to  see  the  back  of  the  picture. 
Instead,  she  found  a  yellow-stained  letter  written 
to  Paul  Revere  Esq.  and  signed  by  one  of  the  fa- 
mous men  of  the  Revolution.  It  was  a  personal 
letter  of  that  time,  and  had  been  used  to  paste 
over  a  crack  in  the  back  of  the  picture. 

"Why  —  why!  How  very  wonderful!" 
breathed  Mrs.  Fabian,  as  she  stared  at  the  old 
letter. 

"What  is  it — anything  valuable?"  asked  the 
girls. 

"A  genuine  letter  written  to  Paul  Revere! 
Now  that  I  think  of  it,  girls,  Paul  Revere  lived 
in  Morristown  and  his  home  is  still  intact  on  De 
Hart  Street,  I  believe.  This  old  picture  must 
have  come  from  his  house;  or  in  some  way,  this 
letter  found  its  way  into  someone  else's  hands  and 
was  used  at  that  time  for  scrap  paper  to  mend 
this  picture.  Now  let's  see  what  the  picture 


is. 


But  a  cry  from  Polly,  who  had  picked  up  the 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY      139 

old  newspaper  and  now  had  opened  it  wide,  caught 
their  fullest  attention. 

"Oh,  oh!  Isn't  this  too  funny  for  anything! 
Listen  and  I  will  read  it."  Then  Polly  read  aloud 
an  advertisement  in  the  tiny  old  newspaper,  of  a 
Squire  at  Baskingridge  who  wished  to  sell  a 
healthy,  young  negro  wench  of  unquestionable 
pedigree.  Price  and  particulars  would  be  given 
any  interested  buyer. 

"Polly!"  chorused  her  audience,  in  surprise. 
"That  paper  must  be  as  old  as  the  letter!" 

"And  see,  girls!"  added  Mrs.  Fabian.  "It  has 
great  heavy  black  borders  on  the  outside.  What 
for,  Polly?" 

Polly  turned  over  the  sheet  with  utmost  care, 
as  it  was  so  dry  and  brittle,  and  to  the  speechless 
astonishment  of  them  all,  it  showed  that  the 
mourning  bands  were  used  for  the  death  of  George 
Washington.  The  entire  front  page  was  devoted 
to  the  news  of  his  demise  which  had  occurred  the 
day  before  going  to  press.  His  fame,  and  value 
to  the  United  States,  were  spoken  of,  and  other 
features  of  his  life  were  touched  upon.  His  pic- 
ture, printed  from  an  old  wood-cut,  headed  the 
page.  All  the  spelling  was  such  as  was  common 
at  that  time  with  the  letter  "e"  tacked  on  when 
possible  and  the  old  English  "f's"  were  used  for 


I4o    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"s's"  and  long-stemmed  "p's,"  and  high-browed 
"a's"  and  "i  V  were  formed  to  show  readers  that 
the  writer  and  editor  was  a  well-educated  man. 

"Oh  my!  Must  we  fold  it  up  and  put  it  back 
of  that  board  again?"  sighed  Polly,  finally. 

"If  you  want  a  bargain,  that  is  what  you'd  bet- 
ter do,"  returned  Mrs.  Fabian. 

"Maybe  the  picture  is  as  old  as  the  paper," 
ventured  Polly. 

The  thought  of  the  picture  had  completely  van- 
ished from  the  mind  of  Mrs.  Fabian  when  she  saw 
the  rare  old  newspaper ;  but  now  she  quickly  picked 
up  the  article  and  turned  it  over.  The  magnify- 
ing glass  was  once  more  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
subject,  and  after  several  minutes  of  inspection, — 
minutes  of  impatient  hesitation  on  the  part  of  the 
girls, — she  looked  up  bewildered  with  her  dis- 
covery. 

"Polly,  this  is  really  the  missing  picture  that 
will  complete  the  set  that  is  on  exhibition  at  the 
»  Metropolitan  Museum,  in  New  York.  It  is  one 
*  of  the  famous  color-prints  made  in  France  about 
the  sixteenth  century,  and  the  subject  is  the  fa- 
mous Bridge  at  Avignon.  This  is  worth  thou- 
sands of  dollars,  dear,  and  I  hesitate  to  tell  you 
what  to  offer  for  it." 

Polly  would  have  taken  the  rare  picture  out 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY       141 

to  the  still  sleeping  man  and  offered  him  a  sum 
that  would  have  made  him  sit  up  and  investigate 
the  matter  for  himself.  But  clever  Dodo  advised 
another  method. 

"If  you  offer  more  than  the  old  frame  is  ac- 
tually worth,  when  you  say  you  will  pay  so  much 
for  the  frames — he  will  see  right  off  that  there's 
a  'nigger  in  the  woodpile.'  Let's  tangle  up  a  few 
of  these  old  black-walnut  frames  with  the  two 
valuable  pictures,  and  I'll  bargain  for  you." 

"Better  let  Mrs.  Fabian  bargain — you  know 
how  she  got  the  candle-sticks  in  exchange  for  a 
two-dollar  'bankit'  lamp,"  Eleanor  reminded 
them. 

•  "I'll  do  it,  while  you  girls  keep  on  poking  about 
as  if  to  find  other  things,"  declared  Mrs.  Fabian. 
"Here,  Polly,  let  us  fix  this  frame  up  exactly  as 
it  was  before,  and  I'll  take  four  out  of  the  pile 
and  place  them,  one  on  top  of  the  other,  upon  this 
dresser,  and  then  call  the  man  out  to  quote  me 
a  price  on  the  lot." 

This  was  carefully  done,  dust  being  shaken  out 
of  the  old  curtain  so  that  the  glass  was  again 
coated,  and  then  dust  was  shaken  over  the  back 
where  the  board  had  been  removed » and  cleaned. 

A  dreadful  lithograph  showing  a  string  of  fish, 
framed  in  a  wide  gilt  affair,  was  one  that  was 


i42    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

chosen  for  the  group.  An  oval  frame  with  a 
woman's  photograph  in  it,  was  another  selected. 
Then  the  four  were  arranged:  The  large  en- 
graving at  the  bottom,  the  fish  next,  then  the  lit- 
tle old  relic,  and  on  top,  the  oval  frame.  All 
four  appeared  dirty  and  insignificant  as  they  lay 
on  the  top  of  the  dresser;  and  to  finish  the  work, 
Polly  used  the  chenille  rag  to  gather  up  as  much 
dust  as  possible  from  the  filthy  floor,  and  shook  it 
vigorously  over  all  the  frames.  Such  a  choking 
and  coughing  as  ensued  made  them  separate  in 
haste,  for  fear  the  noise  would  make  the  auc- 
tioneer come  out  to  enquire. 

But  he  was  too  deeply  concerned  with  some 
pleasant  dream,  to  awake  to  business,  before  his 
usual  time  for  the  afternoon  siesta  had  ended,  so 
Mrs.  Fabian  went  out  to  rouse  him. 

"Eh,  what  did  you  say?"  exclaimed  he,  jump- 
ing up. 

"I  want  you  to  tell  me  how  much  are  a  few 
picture-frames  which  we  found  in  a  corner." 

"Oh,  anything  you  like.  How  much  do  you 
think  they  are  wuth?"  was  his  reply. 

Mrs.  Fabian  smiled  pleasantly.  "That  is  not 
what  I  said.  You  are  the  salesman  and  I  the 
buyer.  You  should  state  a  price." 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY       143 

"Um — ah !"  yawned  Mr.  Van  Styne  at  this,  and 
stretched  his  arms  out  over  his  head.  "I  s'pose 
that  ends  my  nap,  eh?" 

He  shuffled  out  of  the  office  after  Mrs.  Fabian 
and  went  into  the  store-house.  When  he  saw  the 
girls  poking  about  amongst  the  old  chairs,  bureaus, 
and  motley  collection  of  furniture,  he  laughed, 
and  said:  "That's  right!  Find  all  the  old  bar- 
gains you  can.  I'm  your  man  to  sell  them  cheap 
to  you." 

Had  he  but  known  what  he  was  about  to  do  I 

Mrs.  Fabian  led  him  down  to  the  corner  where 
the  pile  of  four  pictures  were  waiting  on  the 
dresser,  and  said :  "These  are  the  four  I  want  a 
price  on.  The  frames  are  all  in  good  order  and 
the  glasses  are  not  cracked  at  all." 

Mr.  Van  Styne  took  a  pair  of  old  steel-rimmed 
specs  from  the  vest-pocket  over  his  heart,  and 
pushed  them  upon  his  thin  nose.  He  picked  up 
the  top  oval  frame,  blew  off  the  dust  and  laughed 
at  the  homely  face  that  stared  out  at  him.  He 
turned  to  Mrs.  Fabian  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes 
and  said,  jokingly: 

"Now,  if  that  gal  was  your  relation  and  you 
wanted  her  ugly  photograph  that  bad,  I'd  say  the 
hull  thing  was  wuth  a  dollar  to  you.  But  seein* 


144    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

it's  fifty  year  old,  and  you  ain't  near  that,  yet,  I 
will  sell  her  fer  a  quarter.  The  glass  is  wuth 
that,  I  reckon." 

He  placed  it  face  down  beside  the  other  three 
pictures.  "Now  this  one,"  taking  up  the  rare 
old  print  with  the  news-paper  packed  in  the  back, 
"Ain't  wuth  a  darn,  so  why  do  you  pick  it  out?" 

"But  the  glass  is  the  right  size  and  will  cost  me 
more  to  order,  than  I  can  get  it  for  of  you,"  re* 
marked  Mrs.  Fabian,  anxiously,  while  the  girls 
held  their  breath. 

The  old  auctioneer  heard  the  note  of  anxiety 
in  her  tone  and  peered  over  his  specs  to  study  her 
guileless  expression.  She  instantly  guarded  her- 
self, when  she  saw  his  look,  and  so  he  saw  only 
a  nice  lady  who  was  now  picking  up  the  fish- 
picture. 

"And  this  dining-room  picture;  how  much  will 
you  take  for  it.  Why  not  give  me  a  job-lot  price 
and  I'll  see.  I  may  as  well  pack  four  as  two  in 
the  automobile." 

But  Mr.  Van  Styne  had  not  known  there  was 
an  automobile;  and  he  was  wondering  now,  why 
people  with  a  car  should  come  in  and  pick  out  a 
few  picture  glasses  to  save  money.  He  glanced 
over  the  last  picture  which  was  the  large  engrav- 
ing, and  then  turned  it  over  to  look  at  its  back. 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY       145 

"That's  a  mighty  big  sheet  of  glass  in  that  one. 
That  glass  alone,  cost  about  a  dollar-forty.  Then 
the  frame's  a  good  hard-wood  frame,  too.  I'll 
look  up  my  books  and  see  who  sent  them  pictures 
in  for  sale.  Then  I  can  see  if  they  put  a  figger 
on  them." 

He  made  notes  of  the  chalk  numbers  marked 
on  the  backs  of  the  picture-boards  and  then  start- 
ed for  his  office.  Mrs.  Fabian,  with  sinking 
heart,  followed  at  his  heels. 

"If  he  looks  up  his  records  and  finds  they  came 
from  the  old  house  of  Paul  Revere  and  his  de- 
scendants, he  will  never  sell  them  at  a  decent 
price,"  thought  she,  impatiently. 

She  sat  opposite  the  old  man  while  he  fumbled 
the  pages  of  his  book  and  slowly  glanced  down 
the  entries,  his  bent  fore-finger  pointing  to  each 
item  carefully  as  he  read. 

"Urn!  Here  it  is:  Number  329,  came  from 
Sarah  Dolan,  who  moved  to  a  smaller  flat  last 
Spring.  From  this  entry  I  see  that  all  them  seven 
pictures  came  from  her.  Do  you  happen  to  know 
her?" 

Mr.  Van  Styne  glanced  up  at  his  companion. 

She  shook  her  head,  and  he  said,  closing  the 
book,  "Why,  Sally  Dolan  was  cook  fer  the  Revere 
boys,  and  when  they  broke  up,  she  started  a 


i46    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

bordin'  house  down  on  Morris  Street.  Then  she 
took  rheumatiz  and  was  that  crippled,  she  couldn't 
get  about  the  kitchen  no  more,  so  she  gave  up. 
Her  boys  manage  to  keep  her  now,  and  she  takes 
things  easy.  But  she  sure  was  a  good  cook!" 

Much  as  Mrs.  Fabian  would  have  liked  to  ques- 
tion the  old  man  about  the  Revere  boys  she  feared 
he  might  remember  that  the  cook  was  given  a  lot 
of  old  pictures  when  the  boys  "broke  up",  so  she 
turned  the  subject  adroitly. 

"Well,  I'll  go  and  see  what  the  girls  have  found 
out  there,  I  guess.  But  I  wish  you'd  fix  a  price  on 
those  four  frames." 

"Lem'me  see,  now.  Sal  Dolan  didn't  set  no 
price,  and  if  I  say  five  dollars  for  the  four,,  would 
you  take  'em?" 

"Dear  me!"  objected  Mrs.  Fabian,  craftily. 
The  large  one  you  said  was  worth  about  a  dollar- 
thirty,  and  the  fish-picture  a  dollar.  That  leaves 
two  dollars  and  seventy  cents  for  the  other  two. 
Isn't  that  pretty  high  for  them?" 

"But  that  fish  picture  makes  a  fine  dinin'  room 
piece,  especially  if  you  could  get  the  mate  what  is 
a  brace  of  quails." 

"Oh  well,  rather  than  jew  you  down,  I'll  take 
them,  if  you  will  take  the  trouble  to  make  me  out 
a  receipt  for  the  four." 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY       147 

"Ain't  this  a  cash  sale?"  queried  the  man,  won- 
deringly. 

uOf  course,  but  two  of  them  are  for  friends.  I 
only  intend  keeping  the  other  two.  I  want  them, 
to  have  the  bill  to  show,  you  see." 

Thereupon  Mr.  Van  Styne  wrote  out  the  bill  on 
a  scrap  of  paper  and  receipted  it,  and  then  counted 
the  five  one  dollar  bills  Mrs.  Fabian  had  paid 
him.  "Ten  per  cent  fer  me  and  the  rest  for 
Sally,"  he  added  as  he  rolled  fifty  cents  inside 
four  one  dollar  bills  and  pocketed  the  other  fifty 
cents. 

Mrs.  Fabian  was  about  to  go  for  the  pictures, 
when  Polly  came  out.  "I  want  to  ask  the  auc- 
tioneer how  much  this  little  box  and  mirror  are?" 
and  she  showed  a  lovely  little  Empire  dressing- 
mirror  to  him.  It  was  scratched  and  had  been 
varnished,  but  its  former  beauty  could  be  quickly 
restored,  for  the  form  and  material  were  good  as 
ever. 

"I'm  told  that  is  a  real  antique.  That  piece 
come  from  the  old  Revere  place,  too.  Mrs. 
Dolan  says  she  heard  it  was  used  by  the  boy's 
grand-mother.  But  I  don't  know  what  to 
charge." 

"I'll  give  you  ten  dollars  for  it,"  eagerly  said 
Polly. 


J48    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Ten  dollars!"  gasped  the  man,  sinking  back 
in  his  desk-chair. 

Mrs.  Fabian  tried  to  signal  Polly,  but  the  girl 
was  too  intent  on  securing  the  gem.  Then  Mrs. 
Fabian  said  to  the  man : 

"Dear  me !  The  child  has  more  money  than 
brains,  eh?"  and  laughed  heartily. 

"I  ain't  so  sure  about  that.  She  certainly 
knows  a  good  thing,"  returned  Mr.  Van  Styne. 
Then  he  said  to  Polly:  "Will  you  carry  it  right 
along  with  you,  if  I  sell  it  for  ten?" 

"Of  course!"  declared  she,  and  the  sale  was 
made. 

"I  guess  we'd  better  be  going,  Polly,"  suggested 
Mrs.  Fabian,  now.  This  told  the  girl  that  the 
deal  over  the  pictures  had  been  consummated,  but 
she  did  not  ask  questions  then. 

Mrs.  Fabian  went  back  to  gather  up  her  four 
precious  pictures,  and  had  the  other  girls  help  her 
carry  them  away.  Then  they  bid  the  good  old 
man  good-by  and  started  off. 

"Come  again,  when  you  have  more  time  to 
poke  around,"  said  he,  as  he  stood  on  the  door- 
step watching  them  walk  towards  the  car  which 
was  waiting  a  short  distance  down  the  street. 

"We  certainly  will,  and  if  you  get  anything 


POLLY'S  HUNT  IN  'JERSEY      149 

really  antique  in  the  place  at  any  time,  drop  me 
word,  or  telephone  to  the  address  I  left  on  your 
desk,  just  now,"  said  Mrs.  Fabian. 

Once  the  hunters  were  safely  on  the  way  to  New 
^York,  the  girls  importuned  Mrs.  Fabian  to  tell 
them  the  story  of  the  pictures,  but  she  laughingly 
remarked: 

"Do  you  know,  we  forgot  all  about  our 
luncheon !  Poor  Carl  must  be  famished!" 

"Not  much,"  retorted  Carl.  "I  went  to  that 
quick  lunch-room  across  from  the  old  junk- 
shop,  and  got  the  best  dinner  for  forty  cents  that 
I  ever  tasted.  But  we  will  stop  for  a  picnic,  when 
we  reach  the  country,  if  you  say  so." 

"No,  indeed!  We'll  eat  as  we  drive  along, 
Carl,"  said  Mrs.  Fabian,  then  turning  to  the  girls, 
she  told  the  tale*  of  the  old  pictures  and  what 
she  paid  for  them. 

"Why!"  gasped  the  wondering  girls.  "It  can't 
be  possible  1" 

At  that,  Mrs.  Fabian  produced  the  bill  of  sale 
and  said:  "I  got  this  in  case  there  ever  should  be 
any  dispute  over  the  legality  of  this  negotiation. 
The  two  awful  pictures  we  can  give  to  some 

*True  incident  in  author's  experience. 


1 50    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

family  along  the  road,  but  the  two  precious  ones 
we  will  cherish  as  if  they  were  the  Koh-i-noor 
Diamond." 

When  the  Ashbys  and  Mr.  Fabian  heard  the 
story,  and  saw  the  validity  of  the  two  pictures, 
they  sat  astounded.  Mr.  Fabian  then  said : 

"Polly  really  ought  to  immortalize  her  name  by 
presenting  this  missing  scroll  to  the  Metropolitan 
Museum,  but  she  can  keep  the  letter  and  news- 
paper. That  ought  to  be  worth  the  price  she 
paid  for  the  'glass'." 

"That's  just  what  I'll  do,  Mr.  Fabian.  I  would 
never  feel  happy  if  I  kept  a  thing  that  is  considered 
so  rare,  and  has  been  sought  for  by  the  Museum's 
collectors." 

So  Polly  Brewster's  name  is  to  be  found  ticketed 
as  the  donor  of  the  twelfth  valuable  picture  in  that 
set. 


CHAPTER  X 

UNEXPECTED  NEWS  FROM  PEBBLY  PIT 

THE  young  collectors  experienced  the  usual 
"red-tape"  in  offering  the  rare  picture  to  the  Mu- 
seum, and  after  the  customary  delays,  it  was  ac- 
cepted with  letters  of  thanks.  Individual  letters 
from  several  officials  were  written  to  Polly  and 
her  friends,  voicing  the  appreciation  of  the  men 
at  being  able  to  complete  the  series. 

Shortly  after  this  pleasing  incident,  the  girls 
went  out  on  another  excursion  just  across  the  Hud- 
son, in  New  Jersey.  They  took  the  ferry  at  One 
Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Street,  and  after  reaching 
Edgewater,  drove  through  the  small  towns  nest- 
ling on  the  Hackensack,  until  they  came  to  the 
village  of  Hasbrouck  Heights.  All  about  this 
section  are  old,  old  houses,  and  if  you  hunt  keenly 
enough,  you  will  find  delightful  odd  bits  from 
Revolutionary  days. 

That  evening,  upon  their  return,  the  girls  were 
eager  to  compare  their  trophies  of  the  day,  but  the 

151 


1 52     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

maid  came  in  with  a  day  letter  for  Polly.  The 
others  waited  for  her  to  read  it,  and  as  she  read, 
her  expression  changed  perceptibly. 

"Oh,  oh !  It's  happened  again !"  cried  she  fear- 
fully, as  she  finished  the  letter. 

"What!  What  has  happened?"  anxiously 
asked  her  companions,  crowding  about  her. 

"Another  slide  on  Grizzly.  This  time  it  has 
destroyed  everything  so  that  mining  the  gold  is 
out  of  the  question,"  and  Polly  gave  the  message 
to  Mrs.  Fabian  to  read  aloud. 

"Bad  land-slide  on  Grizzly.  Demolished  all 
machinery  and  wiped  out  the  entire  surface  of 
mountain-top.  No  lives  lost,  but  cave  and  vein 
of  ore  lost.  Topography  completely  changed. 
Wait  for  summer  to  start  new  search  and  locate 
gold.  Letter  sent  to  Latimer  and  Dalken.  Ask 
them  for  particulars.  John  Brewster." 

"Oh,  Polly!  That  means  that  our  gold  mine 
has  vanished,  and  all  our  income  from  it  will  be 
stopped!"  cried  Eleanor. 

"We  haven't  had  any  income  to  stop,"  replied 
Polly,  cynically.  "About  all  the  good  we've  ever 
had  from  Choko's  Find  Mine  has  been  violent 
physical  exercise,  expenses  and  the  dreams  that 
buoy  hope." 

Her  friends  laughed  in  spite  of  the  seriousness 


NEWS  FROM  PEBBLY  PIT        153 

of  the  matter,  and  Eleanor  added:  "It  also  means 
that  Daddy,  and  all  of  our  New  York  investors, 
have  lost  the  money  they  invested  in  the  project." 

"Well,  when  Tom  Larimer  called  on  me  the 
evening  after  our  ducking  in  the  Bay,  he  said 
he  was  not  in  favor  of  working  on  the  mine  so  late, 
in  the  season.  He  thought  John  was  taking 
dreadful  risks  to  keep  the  plant  open  when  snow- 
storms and  slides  were  imminent. 

"But  John  told  him  that  plenty  of  snow  was 
just  what  was  needed  on  the  peaks,  to  cement  the 
chasms  and  crevices  together  that  had  been  opened 
by  the  summer's  heat  and  continued  drought  all 
Fall.  In  case  no  snow  came,  he  said  he  would 
agree  to  abandon  work  when  the  cold  weather 
became  too  severe  to  remain  at  that  altitude." 

"This  unexpected  accident  and  loss  of  the  mine 
does  not  prevent  the  output  of  the  lava  jewels, 
Polly,  so  there'll  be  no  noticeable  difference  in  your 
income,  will  there?"  asked  Mrs.  Fabian. 

"Well,  Tom  explained  it  all  to  me.  He  said 
that  mine  affairs  were  so  involved  with  the  jewel 
works  at  Rainbow  Cliffs,  that  one  disaster  affected 
the  other  interest.  Rainbow  Cliffs  is  part  of 
Pebbly  Pit  Ranch,  so  the  Cliffs  were  incorporated 
when  work  began  on  the  mining  of  the  lava. 
Then  when  trouble  at  Choko's  Find  Mine  started, 


154    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

the  mines  at  Rainbow  Cliffs  were  mortgaged  to 
secure  financial  aid  for  the  gold  mine  on  the  moun- 
tains. So  that  everything  is  mixed  up  now  in  this 
calamity,"  explained  Polly,  tearfully. 

Soon  after  this,  the  telephone  rang.  Mr. 
Latimer  said  he  was  coming  to  call,  that  evening, 
and  Mr.  Dalken  wished  to  come  in  at  the  same 
time.  Would  the  girls  be  home? 

Polly  assured  him  they  would,  and  also  that 
he  would  be  welcomed  as  she  wished  to  hear 
about  the  important  matters  that  he  could  fully 
explain  to  her. 

Soon  after  eight  o'clock,  therefore,  Mr.  Latimer 
and  Mr.  Dalken  were  announced.  Polly  and 
Eleanor — the  latter  had  realized  that  maybe  her 
future,  because  of  this  disaster  to  the  mine — would 
not  be  as  luxurious  as  she  had  dreamed  of,  anx- 
iously welcomed  the  two  men.  Polly  lost  no  time 
in  polite  nothings,  but  asked,  at  once,  about  the 
conditions  at  the  mines. 

"I  see  you  have  heard  about  the  trouble?" 
ventured  Mr.  Latimer. 

"Yes,  I  received  a  long  night  letter  from  home, 

jthis  afternoon.     But  they  do  not  say  whether 

1  there  is  anything  left  to  pay  my  way  in  New  York, 

'or  whether  I  ought  to  start  for  home,"   said 

Polly. 


NEWS  FROM  PEBBLY  PIT        155 

Eleanor  was  shocked  at  her  words.  "Why, 
Polly,  surely  you  have  no  dread  of  such  being 
the  case,  just  because  our  old  gold  mine  is  choked 
again?" 

"Don't  you  understand,  Nolla,  that  starting 
work  on  the  mine,  and  all  the  machinery  for  it, 
costs  so  much  that  not  only  is  the  lava  mine  in- 
volved, but  the  very  ranch  is  risked.  Maybe 
father  will  have  to  sell  out  his  beloved  farm  and 
go  away,"  explained  Polly,  with  quivering  lips. 

"Oh  no,  Polly,"  hastily  came  from  Mr.  Lat- 
imer.  "We  are  all  stock-holders  in  this  venture, 
you  know,  and  one  man  alone  does  not  bear  the 
costs  of  the  mine  and  its  losses.  That  is  why 
Mr.  Dalken  and  I  came  over,  tonight,  when  we 
got  word  that  John  had  written  you.  We  feared 
you  might  not  understand  matters." 

"But  I  understand  father,  well  enough,  Mr. 
Larimer.  He  will  never  permit  anyone  to  lose 
a  penny  because  of  him  or  his  interests." 

"Maybe  he  won't,  Polly,  but  this  mining  ven- 
ture was  as  much  our  interest  as  yours,  or  your 
father's,  remember.  It  seems  gone,  this  time,  but 
we  must  take  our  loss  as  courageously  as  we 
would  our  profits.  Tom  wired  me  to  come  and 
see  you  and  explain  that  you  need  make  no  change 
in  any  of  your  plans,  as  everything  would  go  on 


156    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

as  usual  at  the  ranch.  He  and  John  will  devote 
all  of  their  time  to  the  Cliffs  now,  instead  of 
dividing  their  attention  between  the  two  mines, 
as  they  have  been  doing,  heretofore,"  explained 
Mr.  Latimer. 

"But  your  mother  wrote  me,  Polly,"  now  said 
Mr.  Dalken,  "that  finances  would  be  rather 
strained  for  the  next  year,  because  of  this  tremen- 
dous outlay  on  the  mines  and  no  income;  and  the 
terrible  drought  that  killed  off  so  many  head  of 
cattle  on  the  ranch  this  year,  makes  things  look 
rather  unpromising.  I  know  how  practical  you 
are,  and  I  thought  it  best  to  let  you  hear  how 
matters  stand.  Your  folks  asked  me  not  to  men- 
tion it,  because  they  wanted  you  to  finish  your 
studies  here,  and  there  are  ample  funds  to  pay 
for  that.  But  I  took  it  upon  myself  to  warn  you 
about  going  deeply  into  any  antique  purchases,  in 
your  auction  fever." 

"I'm  so  glad  you  did,  Mr.  Dalken.  As  you 
say,  I  am  not  a  silly  child,  and  now  that  I  know 
exactly  how  matters  are  at  home,  I  will  see  if  I 
cannot  do  something  while  studying  in  New  York, 
to  pay  my  own  way,"  responded  Polly,  anx- 
iously. 

"Oh,  it  isn't  as  bad  as  that,  Child!"  laughed 
Mr.  Latimer;  "but  it  is  best  for  you  not  to 


NEWS  FROM  PEBBLY  PIT        157 

buy  in  Fifth  Avenue  shops,  or  give  away  rare  old 
bargains  from  the  country." 

Polly  smiled.  "Mr.  Latimer,  this  is  what  I 
propose  doing  to  earn  my  expenses  in  New  York. 
Instead  of  buying  old  objects  for  fun,  I  shall 
secure  them  to  sell  again  and  make  money." 

'Toll  is  right!  And  I  propose  going  with 
her  as  the  partner  in  her  first  business  venture!'* 
declared  Eleanor. 

"Where  will  you  two  girls  find  customers?" 
asked  Mr.  Dalken,  admiring  the  way  they  accepted 
the  news  that  their  gold  mine  seemed  wiped  out 
for  all  time. 

"Oh,  Polly'll  find  a  way,  never  fear!"  declared 
Eleanor  with  fervent  faith  in  her  friend's  ability 
to  accomplish  things. 

"Yes,  I'll  get  Mr.  Ashby,  first  of  all,  to  permit 
us  to  exhibit  our  goods  in  his  'odd  room'  and  we'll 
pay  him  a  commission  for  sales,  just  as  other 
folks  do  who  wish  to  exchange,  or  sell,  their  an- 
tiques," explained  Polly. 

"Well,  if  you  girls  manage  to  find  such  valuable 
things  as  that  famous  missing  picture  that  the 
Museum  made  such  a  time  over,  I  should  say 
you  had  found  a  big  gold  mine  in  New  York  in- 
stead of  losing  a  little  one  in  the  Rockies,"  said 
Mr.  Dalken. 


i5 8     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

So,  shortly  after  the  girls  learned  that  they  had 
to  economise  on  expenses  that  year,  Polly  carried 
her  old  coverlets  to  Mr.  Ashby's  shop  and  left 
them  with  him  to  sell.  The  fine  little  mirror  had 
been  restored  and  was  perfectly  beautiful.  This 
was  placed  on  exhibition  in  the  Empire  Room  of 
the  Ashby  Shop,  but  scarcely  had  it  had  time  to 
be  friendly  with  other  rare  objects  in  that  room, 
before  it  was  purchased  at  a  high  price.  Thus 
Polly  cleared  several  hundred  dollars  on  the  first 
sale,  and  felt  encouraged  to  invest  that  money  in 
new  purchases. 

Mr.  Dalken  gladly  sent  Carl  with  the  car,  to 
drive  the  girls  whenever  they  heard  of  a  place  to 
visit,  but  Ruth  and  Nancy  seldom  accompanied 
them  these  days.  Ruth  had  school  to  attend 
daily,  and  Nancy  was  painting  a  portrait  for  a 
famous  stage  beauty  who  had  offered  her  an  at- 
tractive price  for  the  work. 

The  girls,  with  Mrs.  Fabian,  had  gone  again 
to  New  Jersey,  after  their  great  investment  that 
day  in  Van  Styne's  place;  but  they  drove  on  to 
Baskingridge  that  day,  and  stopped  at  several 
ancient  farm-houses  to  ferret  for  old  things.  At 
one  of  the  places,  they  secured  some  very  old  glass- 
ware, also  odd  pieces  of  Staffordshire,  and  a  well- 
nigh  complete  set  of  old  Wedgewood  dishes. 


NEWS  FROM  PEBBLY  PIT        159 

At  another  house  they  got  a  set  of  old  brass 
fire-irons  and  a  crane  with  all  the  hangers  and 
pots  complete,  just  as  it  had  been  removed  from 
the  brick  fire-place  and  thrown  up  in  the  attic. 

At  the  third  house,  Polly  became  enamored 
of  a  wonderful  sampler,  and  several  very  old 
silhouettes — the  latter,  very  different  from  the 
kind  we  are  familiar  with.  As  these  old  relics 
were  in  the  attic  and  were  considered  valueless, 
she  got  them  for  a  very  small  sum. 

While  Polly  was  bargaining  for  these  trifles, 
Eleanor  was  in  the  grand-mother's  room  looking 
at  several  marvelous  patch-work  quilts.  The  old 
dame  told  Eleanor  the  story  connected  with  each 
quilt;  and  one,  the  unusual  one  of  silk  pieces,  as 
well  as  worsteds,  patched  in  with  calico,,  velvet 
and  other  odd  materials,  was  said  to  be  made  of 
a  collection  of  famous  bits  from  gowns  worn  by 
the  ladies  of  Revolutionary  Days. 

^How  the  old  grand-dame  ever  came  into  pos- 
session of  such  a  valuable  quilt,  was  beyond 
Eleanor's  comprehension.  Then  Polly  and  the 
house-wife  joined  her,  and  Polly  was  shown  the 
quilt. 

"How  very  interesting,"  remarked  she. 

"Yes,  and  I'll  tell  you  how  it  came  about,"  ex- 
plained Mrs.  Johnson.  "We've  always  lived  on 


160    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

this  place,  and  when  the  Army  passed  this  way, 
our  folks  helped  out  in  all  sorts  of  ways. 

"During  the  winter  that  General  Washington 
and  his  Lady  were  stationed  at  Morristown,  there 
was  lots  of  doings  all  about  the  county.  You'll 
read  in  the  history  of  Lady  Washington,  how  she 
was  entertained  by  the  first  families  about  here 
— the  Fords,  the  Footes,  and  others. 

"Our  great-grandmother  was  a  fine  needle- 
woman and  went  about  to  the  houses  making 
gowns  and  cloaks  for  the  ladies.  She  always 
saved  the  scraps  of  silk  and  stuff  that  was  wasted, 
and  of  these  she  patched  several  quilts.  On  the 
back  of  each  bit  of  these  materials,  she  pasted 
little  bqok-muslin  tickets  that  had  the  name  and 
date  printed  on  it,  of  the  lady  and  the  occasion 
she  wore  the  gown.  So  on  the  back  of  each  of 
these  pieces  is  still  to  be  found  the  printing  of 
that  ancestress  of  mine." 

"Oh,  isn't  this  interesting!"  exclaimed  Polly, 
eagerly. 

And  Eleanor  asked:  "Where  are  the  other 
quilts?" 

"We  don't  exactly  know  what  happened  to  the 
others  she  made;  but  this  one  came  right  down 
from  grandmother's  mother  to  her,  then  to  my 
mother,  and  now  to  me." 


"Would  any  price  tempt  you  to  sell  it?"  asked 
Polly. 

"Nothin'  on  earth,  whiles  I  live.  But  I  haven't 
any  children,  and  goodness  only  knows  what  will 
become  of  the  dear  old  heirloom.  Why  did  you 
ask?" 

"How  I  would  love  to  own  it!  Not  for  its 
value  in  money  but  really  to  hold  it  as  a  precious 
patriotic  reminder  of  those  days  when  the  ladies, 
even  though  they  dressed  fine  and  had  good  times, 
performed  such  heroic  and  almost  super-human 
deeds  for  the  Army,"  explained  Polly. 

Mrs.  Johnson  gazed  keenly  at  the  girl's  face 
for  a  few  moments,  then  said:  "Tell  me  your 
name  and  address:  I  am  going  to  write  it  out 
now,  that  this  quilt  is  to  be  yours  any  time  I  die; 
and  you  must  be  as  careful  of  it  as  we  have  been. 
Always  keep  tar-paper,  or  tobacco  in  it,  during 
summer  when  moths  fly  about." 

Polly  thanked  the  lady  very  seriously  and  prom- 
ised to  be  most  careful  of  it  in  every  way,  but  she 
said  she  hoped  Mrs.  Johnson  would  live  a  long 
time  to  enjoy  the  quilt  as  her  own  family  relic. 

On  the  drive  back  through  Morristown  that 
day,  Mrs.  Fabian  had  Carl  stop  at  Mr.  Van 
Styne's  auction  rooms,  but  the  old  man  was  not  in, 
and  the  door  was  locked.  A  sheet  of  paper 


1 62    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

tacked  inside  the  sash  of  the  door,  announced  that 
the  owner  was  at  Parsippany  numbering  house- 
hold goods  for  an  auction  to  be  held  in  two  weeks' 
time. 

Mrs.  Fabian  made  a  note  of  the  name  and  lo- 
cation of  the  house  where  the  sale  was  to  be  held, 
and  came  back  to  the  automobile.  She  showed 
the  paper  to  the  girls,  and  said : 

"We'll  try  to  get  out  here  for  that  sale.  But 
I'll  write  Mr.  Van  Styne  first,  and  ask  him  what 
sort  of  things  the  people  have." 

"Yes,  it  would  be  silly  to  come  so  far  and  find 
the  house  contained  nothing  but  horrid  old  mod- 
ern stuff,"  said  Eleanor. 

Arriving  home,  late  that  afternoon,  Mrs.  Fa- 
bian was  given  a  letter  sent  from  the  old  auc- 
tioneer at  Morristown.  He  had  kept  his  word 
and  notified  the  young  collectors  of  the  sale  about 
to  be  held  at  Parsippany:  the  sale  they  had  heard 
about  that  day. 

"He  says,  in  this  letter,"  explained  Mrs.  Fa- 
bian after  reading  it,  "the  old  farm-house  where 
the  vendue  will  take  place,  is  filled  with  real  old 
furniture;  the  family  that  owned  the  farm  have 
held  it  for  five  generations.  Mr.  Van  Styne  ad- 
mits that  he  is  not  enough  of  a  connoisseur  to 
judge  the  actual  value  of  the  antiques,  but  there 


NEWS  FROM  PEBBLY  PIT        163 

are  some  mahogany  pieces,  and  loads  of  queer  old 
things  that  his  wife  would  have  kept  in  the  attic, 
or  split  up  for  kindlings.  As  he  thinks  this  is 
what  is  now  called  'Period  Furniture,'  he  would 
suggest  that  we  run  out  and  have  a  look  at  it  be- 
fore the  day  of  the  sale." 

"The  letter  sounds  exactly  like  him,  doesn't  it?" 
laughed  Polly. 

"Yes,  but  it  is  very  nice  of  him  to  be  so  honest 
about  it.  Most  auctioneers  would  tell  us  the  fur- 
niture was  wonderful,"  returned  Mrs.  Fabian. 

"When  do  you  think  we  can  run  out  there,  Mrs. 
Fabian?"  asked  Eleanor,  eagerly. 

"We'll  find  out  what  day  Carl  can  best  arrange 
for  the  trip.  We  mustn't  'drive  a  willing  horse 
to  death,'  you  know." 

Later  in  the  evening,  the  telephone  bell  rang 
and  Polly  was  called  to  the  'phone.  The  maid 
who  answered  the  ring  said  it  was  a  man's  voice 
but  she  had  not  been  able  to  understand  the  name. 

Eleanor  heard  her  chum  say:  "Oh,  really! 
We've  been  wondering  what  became  of  you.  It 
was  so  surprising  to  find  you  were  an  old  friend 
of  our  Mr.  Dalken's  and  then  never  hear  from 
you  again,  or  have  anyone  know  where  you  had 
gone." 

Mrs.  Fabian  glanced  questioningly  at  Eleanor, 


i64    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

but  the  girl  shook  her  head  in  token  of  her  ig- 
norance of  who  the  caller  could  be.  Then  they 
heard  Polly  say:  "Why,  I  reckon  so.  If  you'll 
hold  the  wire  a  moment,  I'll  run  and  ask  Mrs. 
Fabian." 

A  few  moments  later,  Polly  rushed  into  the 
room  and  said  eagerly:  "Jack  Baxter  is  on  the 
'phone  and  wants  to  know  if  he  may  come  in,  to- 
morrow evening,  Mrs.  Fabian.  He  says  he  has 
a  little  furniture  commission  for  Nolla  and  me  to 
take  care  of." 

Mrs.  Fabian  immediately  replied  that  the  young 
man  would  be  welcomed  the  following  evening, 
and  Polly  hurried  back  to  deliver  the  invitation. 
Eleanor  waited  until  she  heard  the  conversation 
over  the  telephone  resumed  between  the  two,  then 
she  said  to  Mrs.  Fabian: 

"I  bet  anything,  that  Jack  Baxter  is  really  in 
love  with  Polly!  I  watched  him  all  that  time, 
after  he  was  formally  introduced  by  Mr.  Dalken, 
and  he  just  hung  on  her  every  word  and  act." 

Mrs.  Fabian  smiled.  "That  is  the  usual  expe- 
rience the  young  men  have  with  Polly.  I  think 
the  very  fact  that  she  is  unmindful  of  her  attrac- 
tions, Coupled  with  her  indifference  to  the  atten- 
tions of  the  male  sex,  acts  as  a  spur  to  them ;  each 


NEWS  FROM  PEBBLY  PIT        165 

tries  to  see  if  she  will  not  capitulate  to  his  in- 
dividual charms." 

Eleanor  laughed.  "You  speak  as  if  you  be- 
lieved the  young  men  to  be  egotistical  enough  to 
think  they  were  charming." 

"They  do,  Nolla!"  retorted  Mrs.  Fabian. 
"Every  Adam's  son  firmly  believes  he  is  more  al- 
luring and  attractive  to  a  girl,  than  his  friends. 
That  is  why  they  all  follow  tamely  after  a  girl 
who  has  no  time  for  them :  they  cannot  believe  it 
possible  that  she  is  not  overcome  with  their 
fascinations." 

Eleanor  smiled  as  she  listened,  then  she  re- 
marked: "I  guess  I'll  try  Polly's  strategy  and 
see  if  the  beaus  line  up  for  me." 

"You  have  no  need  to  experiment  with  any  new 
tricks,"  replied  Mrs.  Fabian,  warningly.  "There 
are  enough  sighing  young  men  already,  waiting 
to  break  their  hearts  and  necks,  for  a  mere  glance 
from  those  impish  eyes  of  yours." 

Eleanor  laughed  merrily  at  her  chaperone's 
words,  but  Polly's  return  to  the  room  interrupted 
their  little  talk. 

"What  do  you  think?"  demanded  Polly,  as  soon 
as  she  was  in  the  room. 

Not  giving  them   time   to   answer,   she   said: 


1 66    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Jack  Baxter  is  going  to  furnish  a  bachelor  apart- 
ment in  the  city,  and  says  he  is  going  to  give  Nolla 
and  me  the  contract  for  doing  it.  It  will  be  our 
very  first  work  as  interior  decorators !" 

"Oh,"  gasped  Eleanor,  "how  can  we  do  it?" 

Polly  looked  amazed  at  such  a  question,  and 
retorted:  "Why,  with  money  and  brains,  to  be 
sure!" 

"Is  that  why  he's  coming  tomorrow  evening?" 
asked  Eleanor. 

"Yes;  he  is  now  staying  at  Mr.  Dalken's  apart- 
ment, and  both  of  them  are  coming  over  tomor- 
row. He  says  he  has  been  West  since  we  last 
saw  him,  and  he  stopped  at  Pebbly  Pit  to  see  the 
folks,  on  his  way  back  from  the  Coast.  That  is 
why  he  has  not  been  heard  from — he  was  called 
away  so  suddenly,  and  just  got  back  today." 

"I  wonder  why  he  took  all  the  trouble  to  go  to 
Pebbly  Pit?"  said  Eleanor.  "He  didn't  know  a 
soul  there!" 

"That's  what  I  asked  him,  and  he  says  he  will 
tell  us  all  about  it  tomorrow  night,"  explained 
Polly. 


CHAPTER  XI 

POLLY'S  FIRST  CONTRACT 

PROMPTLY  at  eight,  Jack  Baxter  and  Mr.  Dai- 
ken  were  announced  to  Polly  and  Eleanor.  The 
Fabians  had  gone  to  the  Opera  and  Mr.  Dalken 
was  supposed  to  act  as  chaperone  for  the  evening, 

"This  is  a  new  experience  for  me,"  laughed 
he,  "but  not  one  that  I  dislike.  In  fact,  I  will 
be  glad  to  offer  my  services  in  the  same  capacity, 
at  any  time,  for  you  girls." 

"Better  beware  how  you  offer  yourself  on  such 
an  altar,"  teased  Polly,  trying  to  appear  calm  and 
composed,  whereas  she  was  keyed  up  to  hear  about 
the  proposed  work  young  Baxter  wished  them  to 
do  for  his  new  apartment. 

Eleanor  deemed  it  wise  to  mention  another  sub- 
ject first,  so  she  asked:  "How  long  were  you  at 
Pebbly  Pit,  Mr.  Baxter?" 

"That's  one  of  the  reasons  we  came  over  to 
see  you,"  interpolated  Mr.  Dalken.  "Jack  has 
a  lot  to  tell  you  about  the  troubles  there." 

167 


1 68     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"What  troubles?"  wondered  Polly.  "You 
don't  mean  the  land-slide,  do  you?" 

"We  know  about  that,"  added  Eleanor. 

"You  only  heard  the  first  news  of  it.  But  you 
never  knew  what  followed  that  first  event,"  re- 
turned Mr.  Dalken.  "I've  known  how  things 
stood  for  a  short  time,  but  I  talked  it  over  with 
the  Latimers,  and  we  decided  to  let  Jack  go  West 
with  Mr.  Alexander,  and  investigate  matters  for 
themselves." 

"Dodo's  father!  What  has  he  to  do  with 
it?"  asked  both  girls  in  surprise. 

"More  than  we  can  ever  appreciate.  Because 
he  is  such  an  experienced  old  miner,  having  spent 
years  in  the  Klondike,  and  later,  down  in  the  Colo- 
rado mining  districts,  his  going  to  Pebbly  Pit  was 
the  best  thing  that  ever  happened  to  our  com- 
pany. Jack  had  just  decided  to  invest  a  great 
deal  of  his  capital  in  the  joint  companies,  so  he 
decided  to  accompany  Alexander  and  see  for  him- 
self how  the  land  lay." 

"And  what  was  Mr.  Alexander's  verdict?" 
asked  Polly. 

"Listen  to  Jack's  story  of  what  happened  on 
the  mountain,  that  early  morning.  It  is  as  thrill- 
ing as  anything  I  ever  heard,"  said  Mr.  Dalken. 

"Fd  have  given  anything  to  have  been  on  the 


POLLY'S  FIRST  CONTRACT        169 

spot  when  that  old  peak  divided  her  earthly  sub- 
stance," laughed  Jack.  "But  even  the  telling  of 
it  by  Tom  Latimer  and  John  Brewster,  was  so  ex- 
citing that  I  tried  every  way  possible  to  reach  the 
mountain  where  the  awful  avalanche  took  place.  ' 

"Tom  had  felt  a  tremor  run  along  the  side  or' 
the  peak  the  night  before,  and  had  warned  John 
that  old  Grizzly  was  ripping  mad  again.  So  the 
two  of  them  rode  along  the  Crest  where  those 
claim-jumpers  were  buried  the  time  that  other 
avalanche  occurred,  and  they  saw  that  Grizzly 
Slide  had  broken  up  great  masses  of  ice-field,  and 
on  the  far  side  where  it  drops  suddenly  to  the 
valley,  thousands  of  feet  below,  a  great  block  of 
ice  and  rock  had  fallen  from  the  top-side  and  had 
rolled  down,  destroying  everything  in  its  terrific 
plunge. 

"Both  boys  were  satisfied  that  it  was  only  a 
matter  of  time  before  the  gaping  crevices  showing 
on  the  side  towards  the  gold  mine,  would  widen 
and  the  top-mass  begin  to  move.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  say  whether  a  slide  would  happen  on  the 
cave-side  or  roll  down  one  of  the  gulleys  on  either 
side  of  the  mine.  But  the  two  of  them  made  up 
their  minds  that  everyone  must  move  from  the 
camp  without  delay,  and  seek  safety. 

"Orders  were  given  to  strike  camp  at  once,  and 


1 7o    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

the  men  worked  all  night,  packing  away  outfits 
and  tools,  and  such  machinery  as  could  be  moved 
inside  the  cave.  Then  the  mouth  was  closed 
against  winter  storms,  and  they  started,  on  their 
horses,  to  ride  along  Top  Notch  Trail,  on  the 
down  trip. 

"It  was  almost  noon  when  they  left  the  mine, 
and  by  two  o'clock  they  halted  on  one  of  the  crests 
to  cook  dinner.  The  horses  were  hobbled  where 
a  patch  of  Buffalo  grass  provided  good  pasture- 
age,  and  Rattlesnake  Mike  started  a  fire  to  cook 
the  meal.  Tom  and  John  got  out  their  tackle  to 
catch  a  few  trout,  when  a  fearful  roll  of  thunder 
sounded  along  the  crest. 

''She  come  down,  pooty  queeck!'  exclaimed 
Mike,  startled  out  of  his  usual  calmness. 

'  'Do  you  mean  Old  Grizzly?'  Tom  asked  him. 

"But  before  he  could  reply,  there  was  such  a 
crash  and  roar,  and  the  whole  ground  shook  un- 
der their  feet  as  if  an  earthquake  had  caused  it. 
Everyone  stood  aghast  looking  at  what  had  been 
snow-capped  Grizzly  but  a  moment  before.  So 
astonished  were  the  men  that  they  couldn't  speak. 

"The  roar  and  tumult  continued  so  seemingly 
close  at  hand,  that  the  men  ran  for  their  horses, 
and  would  have  ridden  down  the  trail  had  not 
Mike  laughed  and  applied  a  match  to  the  kindling, 


DOLLY'S  FIRST  CONTRACT:       171 

just  as  if  nothing  was  happening  above  them  on 
Grizzly  Slide.  It  instantly  quieted  the  fears  of 
the  others,  and  they  turned  again  to  wait  for  fur- 
ther events. 

"Tom  Latimer  says,  that  what  caused  such  a 
panicky  feeling  in  them  all,  was  the  fact  that  one 
moment  they  had  seen  the  glistening  cap  of  Old 
Grizzly,  and  the  next,  it  was  gone,  and  a  great 
cloud  of  flying  white  particles  hid  the  scene  for  a 
time. 

"The  terrific  detonation  they  heard  immediately 
after  the  peak's  snow-cap  rolled  down  the  moun- 
tain-side, was  caused  by  the  mass  of  rock,  ice, 
snow  and  general  debris,  striking  the  ground  be- 
low. How  far  it  fell  before  striking,  they  could 
not  say,  but  Mike  claims  it  must  have  been  hur- 
tled, from  the  peak  of  Grizzly,  to  the  great  gulch 
that  runs  along  its  lower  side,  about  five  thousand 
feet  below — all  that  distance  before  landing  and 
filling  the  ravines  about  that  section. 

"All  the  way  down,  from  Grizzly  Gulches  to 
the  bottoms  that  run  along  Bear  Forks  branches, 
the  avalanche  tore  up  trees,  boulders,  moraine, 
and  other  heavy  matter,  that  generally  forms  a 
dam  for  smaller  slides  than  this  one  was.  But 
this  time,  entire  forests  were  shoved  along,  still 
standing,  just  like  a  great  cake  of  icing  with  fancy 


172    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

frosting  of  colored  sugar  on  top  of  it,  is  pushed 
off  from  a  slice  of  birthday  cake,  when  the  knife 
loosens  it.  The  moment  any  part  of  this  aval- 
anche came  up  against  a  cliff,  or  rolled  over  into 
vast  ravines,  that  much  of  the  sliding  forest  tum- 
bled up  against  itself,  or  fell  into  the  gulch  to 
instantly  fill  up  the  cleft  and  cause  the  remaining 
slide  to  roll  ove-r  it. 

"The  end  of  that  avalanche  did  not  come  until 
it  reached  the  valley  of  Bear  Forks,  just  below 
Pebbly  Pit  ranch.  If  your  home  had  not  been 
snugly  located  up  in  that  crater,  but  had  been 
down  in  the  valley  by  the  river,  it  would  have 
been  completely  covered  with  the  tons  of  trash 
that  still  remained  after  having  rolled  for  miles, 
and  finally  worn  itself  out  on  the  banks  of  the 
stream. 

"All  the  branches  of  Bear  Forks  that  start  up 
on  the  side  of  the  mountain,  are  choked,  and  the 
waters  rushed  in  every  direction,  starting  smaller 
slides  by  up-rooting  trees  and  loose  stones  and 
shale. 

"The  miners  followed  Mike's  example,  and  ate 
a  hearty  dinner,  although  they  were  all  crazy  to 
ride  back  and  ascertain  the  extent  of  the  damage 
caused.  Mike  was  for  their  going  quietly  on 
home,  but  not  one  of  the  others  would  agree  to 


POLLY'S  FIRST  CONTRACT       173 

this.  So  they  turned  back  and  rode  as  far  as  the 
trail  was  passable.  But  they  could  not  climb  over 
the  great  mass  of  debris  that  was  piled  up,  shortly 
after  leaving  Four  Blaze  Tree.  And  the  queer 
sensation  of  not  seeing  the  old  familiar  top  on 
Grizzly  Peak,  unnerved  them  for  further  adven- 
ture that  day. 

"They  got  home  past  midnight,  to  hear  the  ac- 
count of  what  happened  as  witnessed  by  Anne, 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brewster. 

"At  the  first  rolling  of  the  slide,  Anne  ran  out 
of  the  ranch-house  and  watched  anxiously,  as  she 
knew  the  men  were  up  at  the  mine.  She  saw 
such  a  strange  sight  that  she  rubbed  her  eyes  to 
make  sure  she  was  not  dreaming.  She  says,  she 
saw  the  top  of  Old  Grizzly  break  right  off  as  if 
someone  had  cleft  it  at  a  given  point  down  from 
the  peak.  And  this  gigantic  mass  of  ice,  still 
glittering  in  the  sun-rays,  toppled  down  until  she 
heard  the  crash  and  roar  and  felt  the  earth  shake 
under  her  feet  even  at  that  great  distance  from 
the  Peak  that  the  ranch  was. 

"The  ranch-house,  and  the  out-buildings  shook 
as  in  a  quake,  and  caused  everyone  to  run  toward 
the  terrace  that  runs  along  the  edge  of  the  crater. 
There  they  stood  watching  clouds  of  snow  float  up 
over  the  forests  that,  one  moment  were  to  be  seen, 


i74    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

and  the  next  were  moving  swiftly  down  the  moun- 
tain sides. 

"The  folks  feared  the  men  at  the  mine  had  been 
killed,  as  the  avalanche  was  the  greatest  they  had 
ever  heard  of  in  that  vicinity,  so  Mr.  Brewster 
rode  madly  to  Oak  Creek  to  get  some  men  to  go 
with  him  to  see  if  any  signs  of  his  boys  could  be 
found. 

"They  met  them  at  Lone  Pine  Blaze,  and  Tom 
said  that  John's  father  sat  still  and  sobbed  like  a 
child,  with  relief  at  finding  everyone  in  his  mining- 
party  safe. 

"So,  Miss  Polly,  the  gold  mine  is  closed  by  Na- 
ture, for  untold  repairs.  Whether  this  genera- 
tion will  ever  locate  the  ore  and  dig  out  the  tools 
and  machinery  buried  in  the  cave,  remains  to  be 
seen.  But  I  was  so  infatuated  with  life  in  the 
Rockies  during  the  short  visit  I  had  there,  that  I 
determined  to  put  in  all  the  cramming  at  college, 
that  was  possible,  and  finish  my  education  so  I 
could  go  out  there  to  join  Tom  Latimer  and 
John  Brewster  in  their  exciting  engineering 
work," 

When  Jack  had  concluded  his  story,  the  girls 
seemed  rather  downcast  at  the  knowledge  that 
their  little  mine  was  gone,  but  Mr.  Dalken  said 
to  young  Baxter: 


POLLY'S  FIRST  CONTRACT       175 

"You  may  as  well  tell  them  about  the  Cliffs, 
and  have  all  the  mourning  over  at  one  time." 

Polly  glanced  anxiously  from  Mr.  Dalken  to 
Jack,  and  then  at  Eleanor,  but  the  young  man  ex- 
plained without  waiting  longer:  "All  the  miners 
working  at  Rainbow  Cliffs  went  on  a  big  strike 
shortly  after  the  calamity  on  Grizzly  Slide,  and 
so  unreasonable  were  their  demands  that  Mr. 
Brewster  refused  to  grant  them.  That  stopped 
work  on  the  lava  jewels,  too,  and  everything  is 
closed  down  until  next  year.  Of  course,  while 
there  is  no  work  going  on,  there  are  no  wages  to 
pay,  but  there  is  also  no  income  from  the  vast 
amount  of  money  invested  in  machinery." 

"Dear  me,  then  really,  I  am  a  pauper  for  the 
time  being,"  exclaimed  Polly,  but  not  in  a  dis- 
tressed tone  as  one  would  expect  after  such  dire 
news. 

"Your  mother  told  me  most  emphatically,  that 
that  was  not  the  case.  Everyone  at  Pebbly  Pit 
seems  to  want  you  to  continue  with  your  studies 
until  you  have  finished ;  and  your  father  said  there 
was  a  tidy  fortune  in  a  Denver  bank  for  you,  so 
that  no  matter  what  happened  to  others,  you  were 
amply  provided  for.  With  your  business,  that 
you  wish  to  take  up,  you  will  not  have  to  worry 
over  the  future,"  explained  Jack  Baxter. 


i76    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Eleanor  remembered  that  Mr.  Dalken  had  in- 
vested heavily  in  these  two  Pebbly  Pit  ventures, 
and  now  she  turned  to  him. 

"Will  everyone  connected  with  those  two  mines 
lose  a  great  deal  of  money?" 

"Your  father,  the  Larimers,  the  Evans',  myself 
and  John  Brewster  hold  equal  shares  of  stock, 
but  Polly's  father  holds  twice  as  much  as  anyone 
else,  for  he  holds  Polly's  stock  as  her  guardian  as 
well  as  his  own.  The  Montresor  Estate,  repre- 
senting the  heirs  of  Kenneth's  uncle  who  first  dis- 
covered the  mine  on  Grizzly,  and  then  willed 
it  to  Polly  who  later  re-discovered  the  same 
vein  of  ore  in  the  cave,  hold  the  same  number 
of  shares  in  the  stock-company  as  either  of  us, 
although  they  did  not  furnish  any  cash  for  their 
stock. 

"Now  Ebeneezer  Alexander  told  Jack,  to  tell 
us,  that  he  simply  could  not  stand  city-life  another 
day.  And,  after  enjoying  the  freedom  and  open 
life  of  the  Rockies  again,  he  was  determined  to 
stay  at  Pebbly  Pit  and  see  the  tangle  worked  out. 
His  experience  will  be  most  valuable  to  Tom  and 
John,  who  are  only  young  engineers,  after  all. 
And  Mr.  Brewster  is  a  stock-grower  with  no 
knowledge  of  mining.  So  we  think  it  is  a  good 
plan  to  let  Mr.  Alexander  take  up  some  of  our 


POLLY'S  FIRST  CONTRACT       177 

shares,  and  sell  him  an  interest  in  the  future  of 
these  mines. 

"If  anyone  can  pull  Choko's  Find  Mine  out  of 
the  grave  it  is  buried  in,  old  Ebeneezer  can  do  it. 
He  has  such  energy  and  perseverance  that  nothing 
daunts  him — excepting  big  cities." 

"And  titles !"  added  Eleanor,  making  her 
friends  laugh. 

"Oh,  I'm  glad  to  hear  he  will  stay  there  to  help. 
I  like  him  so  much!"  declared  Polly. 

"Well,  now  that  most  of  our  evening  was  given 
to  the  story  about  the  land-slide  on  Grizzly,  how 
much  time  am  I  to  be  given  for  the  furnishing  of 
my  apartment?"  asked  Jack  Baxter. 

"Just  talking  about  it  won't  furnish  it,"  retorted 
Polly,  smilingly. 

"No,  but  we  can  get  at  first  principles,  can't 
we?" 

"Yes;  if  both  sides  know  on  what  basis  each 
wishes  to  start!"  said  Eleanor. 

"I  know  my  side  of  it,  and  I  really  think  you 
girls  know  yours.  This  is  my  basis :  I  have  two 
large  rooms  and  bath  near  Fifth  Avenue,  that  I 
want  a  decorator  to  do  in  keeping  with  the  style 
of  the  rooms.  I  don't  care  where  or  how  you 
get  the  items  for  furnishing,  but  I'd  like  some  of 
the  fun  of  going  about  with  you  when  you  visit 


17 8    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

odd  corners  of  the  country  to  dig  up  the  antiques." 
"If  you  waste  your  time  that  way,  how  do  you 
expect  to  finish  a  hurried  education  in  engineer- 
ing?" asked  Polly. 

"Oh,  furnishing  won't  last  long,  and  studying 

will." 

"If  Mr.  Dalken  is  a  conscientious  executor  of 
your  estate  I  should  think  he'd  forbid  your  wast- 
ing any  time  hunting  up  furniture  and  hiring  dec- 
orators to  do  it  for  you,  at  the  same  time,"  teased 
Eleanor. 

Mr.  Dalken  laughed  and  said :  "I  always  said 
'All  work  and  no  play  makes  Jack  a  dull  boy.' ' 

"Well,  Jack  can  work  for  two  whole  weeks  be- 
fore he  gets  any  play,  as  far  as  going  to  a  sale 
is  concerned.  There  will  be  no  sale,  that  we 
know  of,  until  the  old  house  at  Parsippany  is  sold 
in  two  weeks,"  explained  Polly. 

"I  won't  have  to  wait  as  long  as  that,  I  hope, 
for  my  apartment.  I'm  paying  rent  on  it  already, 
and  am  stopping  with  Mr.  Dalken  as  his  guest, 
until  I  get  a  bed  and  a  chair." 

"But  I  thought  you  wanted  to  furnish  by  going 
to  the  sales  of  antiques,"  ventured  Polly 

"I  did,  but  I  want  to  go  to  one  tomorrow. 
Can't  you  girls  contract  to  escort  me  to  places  in 
the  city  where  we  can  get  things  without  waiting?" 


POLLY'S  FIRST  CONTRACT       179 

"As  far  as  that  is  concerned,  we  can  take  you 
right  over  to  the  Ashby  Shop  and  find  everything 
on  earth  you  can  use,  right  in  his  collections," 
said  Polly. 

"I  wanted  to  feel  that  you  two  girls  were  get- 
ting this  contract  and  the  profits,  and  not  a  fa- 
mous establishment,"  demurred  Jack. 

"We'll  have  the  contract,  all  right,  but  we  will 
only  buy  what  we  need  from  Mr.  Ashby,  at  reg- 
ular discount,  you  know,"  explained  Eleanor  in  a 
businesslike  manner. 

Mr.  Dalken  smiled  indulgently  on  his  two 
young  friends  who  had  developed  such  marvelous 
aptitude  for  business  since  their  trip  abroad  that 
summer.  And  young  Baxter  concluded  with: 
"All  right;  tomorrow,  you  girls  get  Mrs.  Fabian, 
and  come  over  to  my  rooms  to  get  your  'atmos- 
phere.' Then  we'll  start  in  and  shop." 

So  the  next  ten  days  were  filled  with  a  great 
many  visits  to  the  apartment  to  determine  certain 
colors  and  styles  of  things,  and  with  a  great  deal 
of  important  conferring  between  the  client  and 
the  decorators.  But  eventually,  the  apartment 
was  almost  ready  for  its  occupant,  and  three 
young  people  declared  that  the  decorating  was  a 
work  of  art — simply  perfect!  And  it  did  not 
cost  so  very  much,  either !  Mr.  Dalken  reserved 


i8o    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

his  opinion  on  costs,  however,  and  laughed  in  his 
sleeve  at  Baxter,  for  the  latter  had  no  more  need 
of  an  apartment  than  a  cat  has  for  two  tails.  It 
was  a  whim  of  his  to  give  the  girls  a  contract,  and 
Jack  could  afford  whims,  so  his  guardian  said 
nothing  about  the  bills. 

"Well,  I  must  say,"  said  Polly  the  day  after 
Jack  held  a  "house-warming"  in  his  newly  fur- 
nished domain,  "I  never  saw  ten  days  go  by  as  fast 
as  these  did.  Here  we  are  almost  on  top  of  that 
sale  in  the  country,  and  it  seems  like  yesterday 
that  we  got  the  announcement." 

"It  shows  how  much  we  really  love  our  pro- 
fession," said  Eleanor,  "when  we  get  so  much 
pleasure  out  of  work." 

But  Dodo  was  present  at  some  of  the  confer- 
ences the  two  amateur  decorators  held  with  Jack 
and  she  now  remarked:  "Work!  did  you  two 
think  that  going  about  in  Jack's  sporty  car  and 
lunching  at  swell  dining-rooms,  or  holding  up  a 
strip  of  gold-gauze  to  watch  the  sheen  on  your 
hand,  was  hard  work?" 

^  Mrs.  Fabian  laughed  to  herself  at  the  conversa- 
tion.    But  Polly  answered  with   an   experienced 
"When  you  have  had  years  of  study  in  dec- 
orating, like  Nolla  and  I  have  had,  you  will  find 
that  work  is  not  altogether  a  physical  effort.     At 


POLLY'S  FIRST  CONTRACT       181 

present,  in  your  apprenticeship,  you  do  more  than 
you  saw  us  do  in  furnishing,  but  you'll  learn,  some 
day!" 

Dodo  tossed  her  head  confidently,  and  re- 
marked: "I  have  nothing  more  to  learn — if 
your  knowledge  is  the  acme  of  the  understanding 
of  your  trade." 

As  no  reply  was  given  this  statement,  Mrs.  Fa- 
bian hurried  from  the  room  to  laugh  quietly  to 
herself  at  the  egotism  of  youth.  Later  when  Mr. 
Ashby  was  told  the  story,  he  said: 

"When  they  have  been  at  the  profession  for 
thirty  years,  and  have  acquired  all  the  knowledge 
that  I  have  in  that  time,  they  will  begin  to  learn 
that  we  all  know  very  little  of  harmony  and  per- 
fect ideals  in  decorating." 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE   PARSIPPANY   VENDUE 

IT  was  a  lovely  late  Fall  day  when  Carl 
brought  Mr.  Dalken's  car  around  to  the  Fabian's 
residence  to  drive  the  girls  to  the  Parsippany  sale. 
Jack  Baxter  was  seated  beside  Carl  and  announced 
to  the  girls  as  they  came  out  with  Mrs.  Fabian : 
"I'm  invited  to  go  with  you." 

"Who  asked  you?"  was  the  rejoinder  from 
both  girls. 

"Carl  did.  He  gets  tired  of  chauffing  for 
hours  without  rest.  So  I  offered  to  help  him 
out." 

Of  course,  Carl's  uncomfortable  flush  showed 
that  Jack  was  joking,  but  he  was  a  welcome  addi- 
tion to  the  small  party,  so  they  started  off,  a 
merry  quartette. 

As  there  had  been  no  time  to  drive  out,  so  far, 
to  inspect  the  household  goods  for  sale,  it  had 
been  postponed  until  the  day  of  the  sale.  Mrs. 

182 


THE  PARSIPPANY  VENDUE       183 

Fabian  said  that  should  there  be  nothing  desirable 
at  the  old  house,  they  could  go  on  and  have  an- 
other hunt  about  the  country. 

But  the  sale  promised  to  be  an  interesting  one, 
for  the  moment  the  girls  found  out  that  the  house 
they  were  looking  for  was  an  old  Colonial  two- 
story  farm-house,  with  wings  at  each  side,  they 
felt  sure  of  its  contents  being  worth-while. 

They  parked  the  car  out  in  a  large  carriage- 
house  and  walked  over  to  the  front  door.  It  was 
a  true  type,  with  sunburst  window  over  the  door, 
and  a  wonderful  old  knocker  on  the  front  panel 
of  the  door.  A  narrow  high  window  at  each  side 
had  diamond  panes  in  them.  There  was  a  dear 
little  hood  over  the  doorway  that  someone  called 
a  "rain-shed."  And  on  each  side  of  the  "stoop" 
which  was  reached  by  three  steps,  was  a  high- 
backed  wooden  seat,  with  funny  low  arms  at  the 
outer  ends. 

The  windows  of  the  entire  house  were  filled 
with  small-paned  sash,  the  glass  being  green  and 
wavy  in  some  panes,  and  as  cloudy  as  mist  in 
others.  Then  again  other  panes  were  of  really 
clear  white  glass.  The  city  visitors  found  later, 
that  these  old  panes  were  the  original  old  glass 
set  in  by  the  first  owner. 

But  they  did  not  come  to  admire  the  outside, 


1 84    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

so  they  all  went  indoors  to  look  about.  They  en- 
tered upon  a  tiny  entry. 

The  front  parlor  was  a  small  band-box-like 
room  with  a  chimney  piece  at  one  side,  and  a  stove- 
pipe hole  in  it  for  winter  use.  Alongside  the 
chimney  was  a  narrow  cupboard  that  was  meant 
to  hold  books,  or  other  things,  to  keep  the  parlor 
from  being  "cluttered  up." 

Directly  opposite  the  chimney  was  a  long,  high- 
backed  settee,  with  hair-cloth  covering.  The 
frame  was  old  mahogany  and  the  shape  hinted  at 
Chippendale,  with  its  six  feet  having  beautiful 
lines,  and  the  side  arms  curving  graciously  out  to 
invite  one  to  be  seated. 

In  this  best  room  were,  also,  several  rush-bot- 
tomed stencilled  chairs,  and  a  Boston  Rocker. 
An  inlaid  Hepplewhite  table  stood  against  the 
wall  between  the  two  front  windows,  with  its  drop- 
leaf  raised  against  the  wall.  A  number  of  old 
pieces  of  brass  and  pewter  stood  on  the  table. 
Over  it  hung  an  early  Georgian  mirror  but  the 
reflection  one  got  when  gazing  into  it  was 
terrifying. 

From  the  parlor,  the  collectors  went  to  the 
long  living-room  that  occupied  one  wing  of  the 
house.  Here  was  a  great  open  fire-place  with 
crane,  and  everything  used  in  olden  times  for 


THE  PARSIPPANY  VENDUE      185 

keeping  a  fire  in  good  order.  Over  the  mantel 
hung  a  wonderful  old  mirror  with  a  colored  pic- 
ture of  Washington  crossing  the  Delaware  in  its 
upper  panel. 

A  rare  Empire  table  with  both  leaves  up, 
stood  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  Polly  in- 
stantly made  up  her  mind  to  own  that  table,  if 
nothing  more  that  day. 

As  they  went  about  admiring  the  antiques,  Jack 
said:  "Gee!  But  I'm  sorry  we  furnished  the 
apartment  so  soon.  What  a  lot  of  fine  things 
we  might  have  had  at  this  sale." 

And  Eleanor  laughingly  remarked:  "Sell 
your  flat  out  like  so  many  New  Yorkers  do,  and 
start  in  again  on  another." 

In  the  low-ceiled,  wide  dining-room,  they  found 
the  typical  round  mahogany  table  with  twelve 
chairs — two  arm  and  ten  side  chairs.  The  seats 
were  covered  with  rep,  but  must  have  had  hair- 
cloth on  them  at  one  time.  The  backs  were  very 
low  and  curved  away  from  the  small  of  the  back 
in  a  frightened  manner.  There  was  but  one 
cross-piece  in  the  back  and  that  was  curved  also. 

The  side-board  was  nearly  eight  feet  long,  with 
six  claw  feet,  and  a  high  top.  On  it  stood  a  tea- 
caddy  of  mahogany,  a  knife-box,  and  several  sil- 
ver boxes.  All  of  them  must  have  been  over  a 


;i86    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

hundred  years  old.  Very  old  china  and  glass- 
ware stood  on  the  large  table,  ready  to  be  sold. 
The  collectors  saw  many  desirable  pieces  there, 
but  they  were  too  anxious  to  visit  the  upstairs  to 
stop,  then,  and  examine,  the  plates  and  other 
pieces. 

There  were  four  large  square  rooms  on  the 
second  floor  and  in  each  one,  stood  a  wonderful 
four-poster  bed — two  with  canopy-tops  and  two 
without.  Empire  work-tables  were  in  two  rooms, 
and  besides  the  high  chests  of  mahogany  drawers, 
and  low  dressing-tables  with  tiny  front  drawers 
to  hold  the  comb  and  brush,  there  were  also  otto- 
mans, foot-stools,  and  ornamental  pieces.  Mir- 
rors hung  over  each  mantel,  and  old-fashioned 
prints  and  paintings  were  on  the  walls. 

By  the  time  Mrs.  Fabian  and  the  girls  went 
downstairs  again,  they  were  dumb-founded  to  find 
that  a  farm-house  so  near  to  Morristown  and 
railroad  stations,  should  have  preserved  such  a 
wonderful  lot  of  old  mahogany  furniture  without 
having  been  discovered  by  collectors.  But  being 
strangers  to  the  other  people  now  gathering  for 
the  sale,  they  did  not  speak  of  their  wonder- 
ment. 

Mr.  Van  Styne  was  late,  and  as  soon  as  he  ar- 
rived he  began  in  the  kitchen,  without  any  greet- 


THE  PARSIPPANY  VENDUE       187 

ing  to  his  followers.  There  seemed  to  be  a  far 
different  type  of  buyer  at  this  sale,  than  the  girls 
had  found  at  any  of  the  little  sales  in  Westches- 
ter;  and  once  the  auctioneer  began  on  the  an- 
tique pieces,  the  prices  ran  up  alarmingly. 

"That  man  standing  over  there  just  paid  a  hun- 
dred and  sixty  dollars  for  that  Colonial  secre- 
tary," whispered  Polly,  annoyance  expressed  in 
her  tone  for  she  had  been  bidding  on  the  same 
piece. 

"He  doesn't  look  as  if  he  had  sixty  cents  in  his 
purse,"  said  Eleanor,  scornfully. 

A  lady  standing  beside  her,  looked  at  the  buyer 
and  smiled.  "That  man  is  one  of  the  buyers  of 
one  of  the  largest  antique  collectors  in  New 
York." 

"He  is !"  gasped  Eleanor. 

"Who  is  the  collector?"  asked  Polly,  but  the 
woman  saw  a  little  Toby  put  up  for  sale,  just  then, 
and  she  wanted  to  bid  on  it,  so  Polly  never  heard. 

Anything  that  could  boast  of  being  a  hundred 
years  old,  or  more,  brought  fabulous  prices,  and 
the  girls  were  amazed  to  hear  names  that  they 
had  read  of  in  the  columns  of  the  New  York 
papers,  called  out  by  the  cashier,  but  never 
dreamed  they  would  come  face  to  face  with  the 
owners  thereof. 


1 88    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Jack  Baxter  spied  a  woman  he  knew,  and  finally 
brought  her  over  to  meet  Mrs.  Fabian  and  the 
girls.  This  lady  was  a  social  leader  in  the  City, 
and  furnished  much  interesting  information  to 
her  new  acquaintances,  about  others  present  who 
were  buying. 

That  sale  taught  Polly  that  it  was  not  always 
the  farm-houses  that  furnished  the  rarest  bar- 
gains at  a  sale,  especially  when  that  farm  was  in 
proximity  to  a  well-known  residential  suburb. 
But  she  also  found  that  not  everyone  who  attends 
a  public  sale,  and  bids  anxiously,  knows  the  value 
of  what  they  are  bidding  on. 

Thus  it  transpired,  that  she  secured  several  of 
the  finest  antiques  in  the  house,  because  others 
knew  nothing  of  their  true  records  or  had  over- 
looked the  objects  because  of  their  unattractive 
finish  or  form. 

Jack  furnished  much  amusement  to  his  friends 
by  bidding  on  everything  the  girls  did  not  want. 
And  the  most  amusing  part  of  it  was,  he  seldom 
secured  a  thing  he  bid  on.  He  finally  grew  so 
desperate  in  his  bidding,  because  Polly  laughed  at 
his  luck,  that  the  people  frowned  upon  him  as 
being  a  "professional  capper." 

Mr.  Van  Styne  overheard  that  remark  and  was 
furious. 


THE  PARSIPPANY  VENDUE      189 

"I  want  you  all  to  know  that  I  am  an  honest 
auctioneer!  I  never  had  a  booster  in  my  life, 
and  I've  sold  for  nigh  onto  fifty  years.  That 
nice-looking  young  man  you  call  a  "capper"  is  a 
friend  of  some  friends  of  mine  from  New  York, 
out  here  to  buy  antiques.  To  prove  it  to  you-all, 
that  young  lady  there,  next  the  young  man,  is  the 
one  who  gave  the  'Metropolitan'  the  rare1  print 
she  found  in  my  shop.  So  there !  I  reckon  that 
will  hold  you,  for  a  time !" 

The  surprise  felt  by  the  buyers  at  this  news 
about  Polly,  was  instantly  followed  by  a  general 
laugh  at  the  auctioneer's  final  remark  to  them. 
Baxter  laughed  at  the  interruption,  but  Polly  felt 
very  uncomfortable  with  so  many  eyes  turned  her 
way.  Mr.  Van  Styne,  never  dreaming  of  having 
made  personal  remarks,  now  continued  his  sale. 

The  antique  furniture  in  the  upstairs  chambers 
brought  higher  prices  than  Polly  had  seen  similar 
pieces  on  sale  at  the  antique  shops  in  New  York, 
and  she  wondered  still  more  that  a  country  auc- 
tion should  bring  forth  buyers  who  were  willing 
to  pay  such  high  prices. 

Finally,  feeling  sure  that  there  were  no  more 
bargains  for  them  that  day,  Polly  led  the  way 
down-stairs.  Young  Baxter  tried  to  persuade 
her  to  remain  and  try  for  a  high-boy  she  had  ad- 


i9o    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

mired,  but  she  refused  to  give  the  high  bids  de- 
manded. So  Jack  stayed  when  the  others  left 
the  room. 

Down  on  the  side-porch,  while  waiting  for  Carl 
to  come  from  the  carriage  sheds,  a  well-dressed 
lady  accosted  Polly. 

"I  heard  the  auctioneer  say  you  presented  a 
rare  print  to  the  Museum  in  New  York  City.  I 
should  be  pleased  to  hear  about  it." 

She  handed  Polly  a  card.  Upon  reading  the 
name  of  one  of  the  best  known  amateur  collectors 
in  New  York,  Polly  forgot  to  reply.  Mrs.  Fa- 
bian smiled  and  spoke  for  her,  to  give  her  time  to 
recover  from  her  surprise.  After  introducing 
the  girls,  Mrs.  Fabian  mentioned  the  fact  that 
Polly  and  Eleanor  took  advantage  of  every  sale 
in  or  about  the  City,  in  order  to  familiarize  them- 
selves with  such  articles  as  they  would  need  in 
their  profession. 

"Oh,  are  you  studying  this  line  of  work?" 
asked  the  lady,  deeply  interested  at  once. 

"Yes,  we  have  given  several  years  to  the  study, 
already,  and  last  Summer  we  went  abroad  to  visit 
the  best  known  places  where  antiques  and  collec- 
tions were  to  be  seen,"  replied  Polly. 

"Well  then,  my  dears,  this  is  my  lucky  day.  I 
want  someone  to  do  this  sort  of  work  for  me,  but 


THE  PARSIPPANY  VENDUE      igt. 

I  want  only  such  interested  individuals  who  love 
the  collecting  for  itself,  and  not  alone  for  wages. 
Also,  I  want  someone  who  can  tell  a  Sheraton 
piece  from  Empire.  If  you  girls  will  accept  a 
proposition  from  me,  I  will  be  glad  to  talk  it  over, 
some  morning,  with  you." 

Polly  smiled  and  said:  "If  your  orders  do  not 
interfere  with  our  studies  and  other  work,  we  will 
gladly  accept  the  work." 

So,  by  the  time  Jack  Baxter  hurried  down  the 
stairs,  Polly  and  Eleanor  had  made  a  new  con- 
nection with  one  of  New  York's  social  leaders. 
Jack  looked  about  for  his  friends,  for  a  moment, 
and  then  smiled  in  surprise  as  he  rushed  forward. 

"Why,  Mrs.  Courtney!  I  am  delighted  to  see 
you  here.  Did  you  just  arrive?" 

"Well,  if  it  isn't  Jack  Baxter!  No,  my  boy,  I 
came  out  this  morning  thinking  this  was  a  bona 
fide  antique  sale.  To  my  disgust,  I  found  it  was 
'fixed'  by  a  clever  dealer  from  the  city,  who 
chooses  just  such  suburban  towns  as  are  famous 
for  its  millionaire  residents,  then  he  plans  a  cam- 
paign. He  was  wise  enough,  this  time,  to  engage 
Mr.  Van  Styne  to  do  the  selling  for  him,  as  the 
old  man  is  so  popular  with  the  people  of  his  town, 
and  he  is  a  splendid  auctioneer,  at  the  same  time." 

Polly  was  dumb-founded.     "Do  you  mean  to 


1 92    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

say  that  anyone  would  take  the  trouble  to  ship 
out  all  these  antiques,  so  far  from  the  city,  just 
to  catch  a  lot  of  buyers?" 

Mrs.  Courtney  laughed.  "Of  course,  my  dear. 
People  will  take  any  amount  of  trouble  to  make 
a  few  extra  dollars.  This  dealer  owns  his  own 
trucks,  and  why  not  let  them  put  in  a  day's  work 
carting  a  load  of  furniture  here,  if  he  can  get  twice 
as  much  for  his  goods  as  in  New  York?  All  he 
has  to  do,  is  to  find  the  right  type  of  old  house 
conveniently  near  the  city  for  motoring  and  large 
enough  to  show  off  his  wares  to  the  best  advan- 
tage. This  man  is  clever  enough,  too,  to  select 
only  such  places  as  are  rich  with  Revolutionary 
lore,  and  near  enough  to  the  estates  of  the  rich  to 
be  an  attraction  to  owners  to  come.  Then  he 
mails  announcements  to  his  city  clientele,  also. 
That  is  how  I  heard  of  the  sale." 

Jack  frowned  angrily.  "I  suppose  that  darned 
old  high-boy  I  just  bought  for  a  top-notch  figure, 
could  have  been  purchased  at  this  man's  city  shop 
for  half  the  price !  Now  I  have  to  pay  to  have 
it  crated  and  shipped  back  to  New  York." 

"Oh,  this  'fixer'  will  move  it  back  in  his  trucks 
for  a  neat  sum,"  said  Eleanor. 

Her    companions     laughed.     Polly     then     re- 


THE  PARSIPPANY  VENDUE       193 

minded  him:  "I  said  not  to  bid  on  it!  I  knew 
it  would  go  too  high  for  us  to  bother  with." 

Carl  now  drove  up  to  the  house,  and  Mrs. 
Courtney  bid  them  good-day,  having  reminded 
Polly  that  she  and  Eleanor  were  to  telephone  her 
at  their  first  opportunity. 

Polly  could  not  help  speaking  of  the  "fixed" 
sale  of  antiques,  and  Eleanor  said:  "That  is 
why  everything  brought  such  awfully  high  prices. 
The  articles  must  have  had  a  set  price  on  them 
to  begin  with,  and  when  Mr.  Van  Styne  offered 
a  thing,  the  dealer  was  there  to  run  it  to  a  figure 
beyond  the  given  price  on  the  books.  I  am  sur- 
prised that  the  old  auctioneer  would  do  such  a 
thing." 

"I  don't  believe  he  knew  the  sale  was  what  we 
call  'padded';  for  he  seems  too  conscientious  a 
man  to  lend  himself  to  such  a  deception,"  re- 
marked Mrs.  Fabian. 

"If  he  was  just  hired  to  sell  the  stuff,  regard- 
less of  how  it  got  out  to  Parsippany,  and  told  to 
follow  book-orders,  he  had  no  choice,  had  he?" 
asked  Polly. 

"He  looks  such  an  honest  old  fellow,  I  don't 
believe  he  even  knew  the  goods  came  from  a  New 
York  dealer.  Just  because  he  is  so  honest,  is  one 


i94    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

reason  why  people  who  knew  him  will  listen  to 
his  advice  and  for  the  same  reason  a  clever  New 
York  dealer  would  hire  him.  I  wouldn't  be  sur- 
prised, if  you  girls  hear  from  him,  some  day,  to 
the  effect  that  he  is  shocked  to  learn  that  this  sale 
was  not  on  the  level  as  far  as  the  yarn  went,"  said 
Jack. 

"Well,  I'd  feel  better  if  he  did.  I  really  feel 
hurt,  now,  to  think  he  might  be  as  tricky  as  that 
other  dealer,"  said  Polly. 

"But  it  would  not  be  called  'tricky,'  Polly,  in 
clever  business  circles,"  said  Mrs.  Fabian. 

"Maybe  not,  but  to  me  it  looks  a  lot  like  sell- 
ing goods  under  false  representations.  I'd  rather 
not  sell  anything  than  have  to  sell  that  way." 

"When  you  come  right  down  to  'brass  tacks' 
and  study  out  the  whole  scheme  of  things,  Polly, 
we  might  be  accused  of  tricky  works,  too,"  re- 
marked Eleanor. 

"What  do  you  mean?"  demanded  Polly, 
astonished. 

"Well,  when  you  think  of  how  we  got  that  pair 
of  old  candle-sticks  in  exchange  for  a  brass  lamp ! 
We  had  no  lamp  to  exchange,  but  Mrs.  Fabian 
rushed  off  to  a  store  and  got  one.  Then  there 
were  those  old  pictures  at  Van  Styne's.  We  were 
afraid  he'd  suspect  them  of  being  valuable,  so  we 


THE  PARSIPPANY  VENDUE      195 

dusted  them  well  again,  as  they  had  been  original- 
ly, and  placed  them  with  two  others  to  make  a 
'job  lot'  of  them,  to  hide  the  facts  about  them." 

"But,"  remonstrated  Polly,  "the  lady  who 
had  no  use  for  the  candle-sticks  did  want  a  brass 
lamp  the  worst  way.  And  Sally  Dolan,  who 
never  appreciated  the  pictures  when  she  had  them, 
did  appreciate  the  money  we  paid  for  them — 
while  we  appreciated  the  old  things  other  folks 
failed  to  value." 

"Polly  is  right,  there,  Nolla,"  added  Mrs.  Fa- 
bian. "I  do  not  see  a  trick  in  giving  a  person 
exactly*  what  they  ask  for  a  thing — whether  they 
realize  the  true  value  of  it,  or  not.  That  is  their 
affair.  In  Law,  the  Judge  says  there  is  no  excuse 
or  cause,  for  mitigating  a  sentence  because  the 
prisoner  claims  he  was  ignorant  of  consequences 
of  a  deed.  So  it  is  in  other  lines:  Ignorance 
can  never  claim  excuse  from  consequences — 
whether  it  be  a  sale  of  a  candle-stick  or  a  piece 
of  old  land  that  turns  out  to  have  gold  on  it." 

"Then  I  should  say,  ignorance  on  the  part  of 
the  buyers  at  this  vendue,  exonerates  the  dealer 
from  all  blame,"  said  Eleanor. 

"Legally  it  does,  but  we  were  thinking  of  the 
moral,"  explained  Mrs.  Fabian. 

When  the  collectors  reached  the  Fabian  house, 


196    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Jack  seemed  loath  to  go  on,  so  Mrs.  Fabian  in- 
vited him  in  to  have  a  bite  with  them  at  an  in- 
formal dinner. 

It  had  been  plainly  evident  for  some  time,  that 
the  only  interest  Jack  Baxter  had  taken  in  furnish- 
ing his  apartment,  or  in  going  about  to  hunt  out 
old  antiques,  was  because  it  gave  him  plenty  of 
opportunities  to  be  with  Polly.  And  as  is  often 
the  case,  when  one  is  completely  absorbed  in  a 
pursuit,  Polly  was  the  last  one  to  suspect  the  truth 
of  this. 

But  he  forgot  discretion  that  evening,  at  din- 
ner, and  permitted  too  much  of  his  attention  to 
be  directed  Polly's  way.  Even  this  might  have 
been  over-looked  had  not  an  interruption  oc- 
curred while  at  the  table. 

The  telephone  bell  was  heard,  and  shortly  aft- 
erward, the  maid  came  around  to  Polly's  side  and 
said: 

"A  Mr.  Latimer  on  the  wire,  Miss  Polly." 

Eleanor  was  all  interest  at  once:  "Can  it  be 
Jim,  or  Tom,  I  wonder?" 

Polly  was  excusing  herself  at  the  moment,  but 
turned  to  add :  "You  know  very  well  that  Tom 
has  his  hands  full  at  the  mines." 

Eleanor  flushed,  for  she  had  almost  given  away 
a  secret  that  Paul  had  told  her  in  his  last  letter. 


THE  PARSIPPANY  VENDUE      197 

Thus  far  she  had  kept  quiet  about  the  confidence. 

Polly  ran  from  the  room,  and  Jack  Baxter 
scowled  at  his  plate.  Mr.  Fabian  smiled  at  his 
face  and  tried  to  engage  him  in  conversation. 
But  Polly's  continued  absence  annoyed  the  youth, 
so  that  he  lost  his  appetite,  and,  in  fact,  all  interest 
in  any  subject  started. 

Polly  skipped  back  after  a  time,  her  face 
wreathed  in  smiles.  "You  will  never  guess  who 
I  was  talking  to?" 

Everyone  but  Jack,  pretended  not  to  know,  but 
he  blurted  out:  "When  I  was  out  at  the  ranch, 
that  Tom  Latimer  said  something  about  coming 
East  for  the  Winter  months — as  long  as  Alexan- 
der proposed  to  stay  out  there  and  take  a  hand 
in  the  work." 

"Why,  this  is  the  first  word  you've  said  about 
it,"  said  Polly,  amazed. 

"Had  I  known  you  were  so  deeply  Interested  in 
the  plans  of  young  Latimer,  I  would  have  told 
you  immediately,"  said  Jack,  with  sarcasm  born 
of  jealousy  in  his  voice. 

Polly  refused  to  answer  him,  and  immediately 
asked  Mrs.  Fabian  to  excuse  her  from  dinner  as 
she  wished  to  dress  for  the  evening. 

The  rest  of  the  family  finished  the  meal  with 
the  uncomfortable  sense  of  Jack's  having  lost 


i98    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

caste  in  Polly's  estimation.  He  felt  it  himself,- 
and  it  certainly  did  not  tend  to  make  him  more 
agreeable  that  evening. 

As  soon  after  dinner,  as  could  be  politely  man- 
aged, Jack  spoke  of  a  theatre  engagement  and 
excused  himself.  His  hostesses  felt  easier  when 
the  door  slammed  upon  him,  for  they  dreaded 
having  Tom  announced  while  his  rival  was  there, 
and  then  have  the  whole  evening  spoiled  by  both 
young  men  glowering  at  each  other. 

While  Eleanor  and  Nancy  ran  upstairs  to  dress 
for  the  evening,  the  former  whispered :  "If  Tom 
remains  in  New  York  all  this  winter,  I  bet  he'll 
get  Polly  before  he  goes  back  to  the  mines,  or  else 
he'll  'cook  his  goose'  for  all  time !" 

Nancy  laughed  merrily,  and  said :  "No  goose 
will  be  cooked  if  Polly  knows  it!  But  I'll  wager 
you  a  box  of  candy,  Nolla,  that  Tom  will  not  get 
his  girl  before  he  goes  back  to  the  mines." 

"All  right,  Nanc!  That's  a  wager;  a  five- 
pound  box  of  the  best  bon  bons,  that  Tom  and 
Polly  will  be  engaged  before  the  end  of  this  win- 
ter season!" 


CHAPTER  XIII 

TOM  MEANS   BUSINESS 

POLLY'S  friends  had  not  completed  their  dress- 
ing when  Tom  was  announced,  but  she  was  wait- 
ing in  the  cozy  library;  so  Tom  crossed  the  long 
formal  parlor  in  a  few  strides,  when  he  caught 
sight  of  her  in  the  softly  shaded  light  of  the  floor- 
lamp. 

"Polly!  Oh,  but  I'm  glad  to  see  you  again!" 
breathed  he  as  he  caught  both  hands  and  devoured 
her  smiles  with  his  eyes. 

"I  should  hope  you  would  be  glad!  Isn't 
everyone  I  know  glad  to  see  me  after  they  have 
been  absent  a  long  time?"  laughed  Polly,  in  a 
matter-of-fact  tone. 

But  Tom  glanced  hastily  about  the  room. 
Then  he  quite  unexpectedly  leaned  forward  and 
caught  her  face  between  his  palms.  "Polly 
Brewster,  I'm  going  to  salute  you  with  a  brother- 
ly kiss!"  whispered  Tom,  and  immediately,  he 
pressed  a  kiss  upon  her  red  lips — but  Polly  felt 
sure  it  was  not  like  John's  kisses. 

199 


200    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

She  tried  to  free  her  head  from  his  powerful 
hands,  but  he  laughed  masterfully  and  held  her 
under  the  light  while  he  gazed  into  her  eyes. 
Finally  Polly  felt  herself  growing  warm  and 
flushed,  and  to  stop  his  look  she  closed  her  eyes 
and  began  kicking  at  his  shins. 

With  a  happy  laugh,  Tom  freed  her  face  and 
picked  her  up  in  his  arms.  In  three  long  strides 
he  was  over  at  the  divan  where  he  placed  her, 
sitting  upright.  Then  he  sat  down  beside  her. 

"Why — Tom  Latimer!"  gasped  Polly,  angrily, 
trying  to  rearrange  her  hair  which  had  become 
tumbled  in  the  fray. 

"Why — Tom  Latimer!"  laughed  he,  mimicking 
Polly  very  cleverly.  "You  don't  know  this  Tom, 
do  you,  girl!  But  this  is  the  Tom  that  you'll 
know  hereafter.  I'm  through  acting  like  a 
woolly  lamb  just  because  Anne  says  that's  the 
only  way  to  get  a  girl !  You're  a  Rocky  Moun- 
tain girl  and  the  only  way  to  make  you  notice,  is 
to  use  ranch  methods  to  lasso  you.  That's  why 
I'm  here  in  New  York.  Catch  me  letting  a  rich 
society  darling  like  that  Baxter  spend  the  winter 
months  making  love  to  you,  when  I'm  wasting 
my  heart  away  at  Pebbly  Pit,  hoping  against  hope 
for  a  nice  long  letter  from  you !" 

Tom's  frown  and  the  tone  in  which  he  declared 


TOM  PICKED  POLLY  UP  IN  HIS  ARMS. 
Patty's  Business  Venture. 


Page  200 


TOM  MEANS  BUSINESS          201 

himself,  made  Polly  want  to  laugh  albeit  she 
shrunk  away,  somewhat,  for  fear  of  a  plot  in  his 
mind. 

Tom  had,  in  his  fervor,  lost  control  once,  but 
he  was  too  wise  to  indulge  himself  again,  in  such 
a  manner.  Tom  had  spent  a  great  deal  of  time 
in  studying,  during  the  past  year,  the  psychology 
of  love,  and  now  he  was  going  to  test  his  knowl- 
edge. He  told  John,  just  before  he  left  the 
ranch,  that  once  a  girl  liked  a  fellow,  it  was  easy 
to  make  her  love  him,  by  judicious  treatment.  In 
explanation,  he  said: 

"When  Jeb  wants  to  coax  one  of  the  burros  to 
the  barn,  he  doesn't  give  him  the  measure  of  oats 
to  eat  out  on  the  range — no,  he  leads  the  burro 
to  the  barn  by  holding  the  box  of  feed  ahead  of 
his  nose!" 

The  Brewsters  laughed  at  Tom's  idea,  but  he 
declared  that  that  was  the  way  he  was  going  to 
get  Polly.  And  all  their  arguments  about  giving 
Polly  a  chance  to  finish  her  studies  and  try  out 
her  beloved  work,  fell  on  dull  ears.  Tom  started 
East! 

"Polly,  let's  all  go  to  a  good  show,  shall  we?" 
was  Tom's  unexpected  invitation,  just  as  his  com- 
panion began  to  worry  because  he  sat  so  close 
beside  her. 


202    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Oh!  Yes — I  think  that  will  be  lovely!"  said 
Polly. 

"All  right!  Run  up  and  tell  the  others  to  get 
their  caps  and  jackets  on.  I'll  telephone  an  agent 
and  see  what's  good." 

Polly  ran  out  of  the  room,  glad  to  have  the 
problem  of  the  evening's  entertainment  solved  for 
her,  but  still  she  felt  a  little  disappointed  because 
Tom  could  so  eagerly  suggest  taking  the  family 
out  when  she  wanted  to  have  a  tete-a-tete  with  him 
to  ask  about  the  mines.  Tom's  plan  about  hold- 
ing the  temptation  before  a  burro  instead  of  sur- 
feiting him  with  goodies,  was  evidently  beginning 
to  work. 

The  play  was  one  of  the  most  popular  ones, 
and  seats  were  in  great  demand.  But  money  does 
anything  in  New  York,  so  Tom  secured  splendid 
orchestra  seats,  and  they  reached  the  theatre  just 
as  the  curtain  went  up  on  the  first  scene.  The  in- 
terior was  darkened  when  they  entered,  and  Polly 
could  not  tell  who  sat  in  front  of  her,  until  the 
first  act  ended  and  the  lights  were  turned  on. 

Tom  sat  beside  her,  and  began  whispering  in 
his  free  western  voice,  when  a  young  man  seated 
directly  in  front,  turned  deliberately  around  and 
stared  at  him.  Polly  gasped,  and  Eleanor 
nudged  her  in  the  side.  It  was  Jack  Baxter ! 


TOM  MEANS  BUSINESS          203 

Without  taking  his  eyes  from  Tom,  Jack 
reached  under  the  chair  and  got  his  hat.  Then 
he  dragged  his  coat  over  his  arm,  and  got  up. 
He  bowed  stiffly  to  the  girls  in  Tom's  party,  and 
went  out.  Tom  waited  until  he  was  gone,  then 
he  looked  down  at  Polly. 

"Um!     It  was  high  time  I  came  East,  I  see!" 

"Why?"  was  Polly's  smiling  rejoinder. 

"By  next  Spring  it  might  have  been  Tom  who 
sat  alone  and  felt  like  the  fifth  wheel  in  a  wagon 
instead  of  Baxter.  My,  but  I'm  glad  I  came!" 

Polly  frowned,  and  Eleanor  did  her  best  to  hear 
what  was  said  between  these  two  apparently 
phlegmatic  companions.  But  Tom  meant  his 
words  for  Polly's  ears  only. 

Once  during  the  evening,  when  the  light  was 
so  low  that  the  theatre  was  almost  dark,  Tom 
changed  his  position  in  such  a  way  that  his  arm 
rested  over  the  back  of  Polly's  chair.  In  his  in- 
terest in  the  scene  on  the  stage,  his  hand  dropped 
carelessly  upon  her  shoulder.  And  Polly  was  too 
engaged  with  the  play  to  remove  it,  or  even 
change  her  position  to  allow  it  to  fall  back  again. 

Then  Tom  moved,  so  that  his  arms  touched 
hers,  and  his  hand  that  rested  upon  one  knee, 
could  cover  Polly's  hand  while  the  audience  was 
enthralled  by  the  burglar's  escape,  and  no  one  but 


204    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Eleanor  had  the  slightest  idea  of  what  was  going 
on  in  these  two  orchestra  chairs.  But  Polly  grew 
restive  and  tried  to  free  her  hand. 

Then  the  lights  went  up  again,  and  Tom  moved 
away  and  said  apologetically:  "These  seats  are 
so  cramped  for  such  a  great  fellow  as  I  am!" 

And  Polly  replied  tartly:  "Yes,  they  really 
ought  to  allow  more  room  for  people's  hands  and 
arms." 

Eleanor  smiled  wisely,  and  sent  Tom  a  teasing 
look. 

John  Baxter  did  not  come  back  to  claim  his 
seat  that  evening,  and  the  play  ended  without 
Polly  having  given  him  another  thought.  Poor 
Jack! 

After  Tom  reached  New  York,  there  seemed 
very  little  time  for  Polly  in  which  to  hunt  up 
antiques  in  the  country,  or  to  attend  sales  that 
were  advertised  at  various  places.  Then  Winter 
weather  set  in,  and  that  gave  her  the  necessary 
excuse  that  the  automobile  could  not  travel  in 
snow  or  mud. 

All  but  Tom  and  Polly,  thought  that  Tom's' 
plot  to  win  Polly  from  her  chosen  profession, 
seemed  to  be  succeeding.  But  Tom  felt  that  he 
had  not  had  much  encouragement  as  yet;  and 
Polly  was  having  a  very  nice  time  with  an  old 


TOM  MEANS  BUSINESS          205 

friend  she  liked  better  than  other  young  men, 
without  feeling  unduly  indebted  for  the  pleasure. 

Although  the  Larimers  lived  uptown  in  New 
York,  they  saw  little  of  Tom  during  the  first 
weeks  of  his  return  to  the  City.  He  stopped  at 
a  hotel  not  far  from  the  Fabian's  place,  and  made 
duty-calls  on  his  father  and  mother  at  regular 
intervals,  but  they  understood  what  he  came  East 
for,  and  they  wished  him  all  success. 

Time  passed  quickly,  with  a  new  pastime 
planned  by  Tom,  for  each  day.  And  most  of 
these  pleasures  included  the  other  girls,  as  well 
as  Polly.  So  the  enjoyment  was  general,  and 
Polly  could  not  say  that  Tom  tried  to  get  her 
company  for  himself,  by  leaving  her  friends  out 
of  any  fun. 

December  came  in,  and  the  Christmas  season 
advanced,  with  Tom  still  leading  a  gay  life  and 
escorting  the  girls  to  every  pleasure  or  entertain- 
ment they  heard  of;  and  Polly  was  still  the  kind 
little  "sister"  to  him  in  every  way,  but  nothing 
more. 

Tom  had  selected  his  Christmas  gift  for  Polly, 
but  no  one  had  been  told  about  it.  This  he  had 
kept  absolutely  secret.  The  Christmas  Holidays 
came  and  all  schools  closed,  so  that  the  girls  had 
no  studies  to  attend  to,  and  no  art  work  to  pre- 


206    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

pare.  Jim  Latimer  and  his  chum  Kenneth  came 
home  from  Yale  for  the  two  weeks'  vacation,  and 
they  immediately  called  on  Polly  and  Eleanor. 

Tom  saw  how  gladly  Polly  welcomed  Jim  and 
Kenneth,  and  he  began  to  wonder  if  she  really 
preferred  a  young  boy's  society  to  his.  Polly  and 
Jim  were  about  the  same  age — not  quite  eighteen, 
while  he — Tom,  was  almost  twenty-four.  Such 
a  decrepit  old  age ! 

The  evening  Jim  planned  to  visit  Polly  and 
take  Kenneth  along  for  Eleanor,  Tom,  to  the  sur- 
prise of  his  parents,  spent  the  entire  evening  with 
them;  but  he  was  not  very  attentive  to  what  his 
mother  said,  nor  did  he  seem  over-pleased  with 
being  at  home. 

Jim  and  Kenneth  were  noisy,  active  young  col- 
lege boys,  and  they  furnished  lots  of  fun  that  eve- 
ning, of  the  energetic,  "center-rush"  kind.  But 
Polly  was  relieved  when  they  had  said  good-night 
and  were  gone. 

Eleanor  laughed  at  the  way  Jim  "rough- 
housed"  both  girls  when  he  tried  to  kiss  them 
good-night,  and  Polly  indignantly  told  him  he 
would  never  be  invited  there  again !  Jim  laughed 
and  caught  hold  of  Polly  to  shake  her  for  such  a 
threat,  but  he  smacked  her  loudly  on  the  lips, 
instead. 


TOM  MEANS  BUSINESS          207 

As  the  two  girls  went  upstairs  to  retire,  Polly 
said:  "I'm  sure  Jim  wouldn't  have  acted  so  silly 
if  his  big  brother  had  been  here!" 

Eleanor  then  added:  "We  have  such  lovely 
evenings  with  Tom,  that  this  sort  of  horse-play 
gets  on  my  nerves!"  Then  she  slyly  watched  her 
friend's  expression  to  try  and  read  her  mind. 

"I  wonder  why  Tom  never  came  in  tonight?" 
said  Polly. 

"Jack  Baxter  met  me  this  afternoon,  and  he 
says  Tom  goes  uptown  regularly,  to  see  a  girl. 
Jack  shadowed  him  and  knows  exactly  where  the 
girl  lives.  But  he  didn't  say  I  must  not  tell  you," 
said  Eleanor,  confidentially.  Neither  did  she  add 
that  she  had  heard  the  address  of  this  "girl"  and 
knew  it  to  be  Tom's  home  and  mother. 

Polly  flushed,  but  said  nonchalantly:  "Poor 
Tom!  He  feels  awfully  bored  with  us  girls,  at 
times!" 

"I  should  think  so !  especially  if  he  came  home 
for  a  visit  with  the  idea  of  finding  a  nice  girl  to 
propose  to.  Now  Jack  thinks  that  Tom,  with 
his  good  looks,  his  wonderful  intelligence,  and  his 
family-tree,  to  say  nothing  of  the  Latimer  for- 
tune, ought  to  be  able  to  take  his  pick  of  any  New 
York  girl  that  is  looking  for  an  ideal  husband," 
remarked  Eleanor,  guilelessly. 


208    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Polly  flashed  her  a  look.  "Since  when  has 
Jack  Baxter  dropped  his  maligning  of  Tom  Lati- 
mer,  and  started  to  admire  him?" 

Eleanor  bit  her  lips  to  prevent  a  smile,  but  she 
replied,  innocently:  "Why,  Jack  always  did  ad- 
mire Tom,  even  when  he  met  him  at  Pebbly  Pit. 
But  he  is  jealous  of  him,  for  all  the  admiration 
he  has  for  him.  But  I'll  tell  you,  Polly:  I 
wouldn't  trust  Jack  in  a  case  of  'love  or  war.' 
He'd  as  soon  make  Tom  believe  you  were  in  love 
with  another  man,  as  anything  else,  if  he  could 
win  a  point  by  it." 

But  Eleanor  over-stepped  her  ambition  this 
time.  Polly  quickly  replied:  "Then  Jack  must 
be  trying  to  'win  a  point'  when  he  got  you  to  tell 
me  that  Tom  was  calling  on  another  girl, 
uptown." 

Eleanor  realized  her  error  and  had  common 
sense  enough  not  to  endeavor  to  explain  it  away. 
She  merely  said:  "Oh  well,  Tom  is  too  hand- 
some a  fellow  to  be  wandering  about  New  York 
these  nights  without  a  guardian.  Some  wide 
awake  girl  is  going  to  snap  him  up  the  first 
chance!" 

"Seems  to  me,  Nolla,  that  Tom  has  been  wan- 
dering about  since  he  arrived  in  the  City,  with  a 


TOM  MEANS  BUSINESS          209 

whole  bevy  of  guardians  to  keep  him  from  snares 
and  pitfalls.  With  all  of  us  girls  surrounding 
him,  a  fine  chance  any  other  girl  could  have  found 
to  snap  him." 

Eleanor  was  evidently  getting  worsted  in  her 
well-meant  plan  to  further  Tom's  case,  so  she 
wisely  decided  to  keep  still. 

Nothing  was  heard  from  Tom  the  next  day, 
although  Polly  was  sure  he  would  call,  or  tele- 
phone, before  evening.  Then  the  telephone  did 
ring,  but  it  was  Mr.  Dalken,  inviting  the  entire 
family  over  to  his  apartment  for  a  party  that 
evening. 

"Just  an  impromptu  affair,  you  know,  with  some 
of  our  old  friends  coming  in  to  spend  the 
evening." 

Mrs.  Fabian  accepted  for  herself  and  husband, 
and  said  she  would  see  if  the  girls  had  any  en- 
gagement. She  came  back  to  the  living-room 
where  they  were  waiting  for  dinner  to  be  an- 
nounced. 

"Are  you  girls  going  out  this  evening,  or  have 
you  any  engagement  at  home?"  asked  she. 

Nancy  shook  her  head,  and  Eleanor  replied: 
"For  a  great  wonder,  we  haven't  a  blessed  thing 
on  for  tonight !  First  evening  free  in  months !" 


210    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Mr.  Dalken  wants  us  to  come  over  and  join 
some  old  friends,  just  for  a  nice  visit,"  ventured 
Mrs.  Fabian,  looking  from  one  girl  to  the  other. 

"Fine!  Anything  but  sitting  here  staring  at 
Polly's  concerned  face,"  retorted  Eleanor. 

Mrs.  Fabian  smiled  and  went  to  answer  Mr. 
Dalken,  but  Polly  sat  up  and  asked  Eleanor  what 
she  meant  by  that. 

"Oh,  ask  yourself,  Polly,  you've  been  mooning 
around  all  day  looking  like  'Gottschalk's  Last 
Hope.'  One  speaks  to  you,  and  you  never  hear 
what's  said.  The  very  house  could  burn  down 
but  you'd  never  know  it.  You'd  roast  without 
feeling  any  sensation  in  it!"  declared  Eleanor, 
impatiently.  Nancy  laughed  at  both  girls. 

After  dinner,  while  the  girls  were  dressing  to 
go  to  Mr.  Dalken's,  Eleanor  went  to  Polly's  room 
to  be  hooked  up.  When  she  saw  Polly  arrayed 
in  one  of  her  most  fetching  Paris  dresses  she  stood 
and  stared. 

"Why!  we're  not  going  to  the  Opera!"  said 
she. 

"We're  going  to  Mr.  Dalken's,  aren't  we?" 
asked  Polly. 

"Yes,  but  Jack  won't  be  there — nor  Tom, 
either,"  was  Eleanor's  smooth  reply. 


TOM  MEANS  BUSINESS          211 

"I  hadn't  thought  of  who  might  be  there,  I 
dressed  for  my  old  friend,  Mr.  Dalken.  He  is 
so  correct  in  these  matters,  so  I  want  to  do  jus- 
tice to  his  friendship,"  Polly  scored  this  time. 

Eleanor  did  not  wait  to  be  hooked  up  but  rushed 
back  to  her  own  room,  and  when  Polly  met  her 
again,  down  in  the  hall,  she  had  changed  her  gown, 
also,  and  looked  very  attractive,  indeed. 

Because  of  the  delay  occasioned  by  Eleanor, 
the  Fabian  party  was  late  in  reaching  Mr.  Dai- 
ken's.  The  other  guests  were  already  there,  and 
to  Polly's  intense  gratification,  not  only  was  Jack 
assisting  the  host  for  the  evening,  but  Tom  sat 
in  one  corner  of  the  large  living  room,  looking 
at  a  book  of  snap-shots  taken  by  Mr.  Dalken 
while  out  in  the  Rockies.  So  engrossed  was  Tom 
in  the  pictures,  that  he  did  not  lift  his  head  when 
new-comers  were  welcomed. 

Polly  glanced  over  at  the  corner  and  finding 
Tom  so  interested  in  mountain  charms,  while  fe- 
male charms  abounded  so  near  him,  she  felt 
peeved  and  smiled  radiantly  on  Jack.  Eleanor 
saw,  and  determined  that  she  would  not  permit 
matters  to  go  astray  again,  as  she  had  taken  such 
trouble  to  get  Mr.  Dalken  to  plan  this  impromptu 
gathering  just  to  give  Polly  the  opportunity  to  see 


212    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

both  suitors  together — to  the  advancement  of  one 
or  the  other's  interest.  Eleanor  had  no  doubt 
that  it  would  be  Tom's  advancement. 

So  she  flirted  outrageously  with  Jack,  to  the 
amusement  of  Mr.  Dalken  who  understood  how 
matters  were  with  all  the  young  people.  Thus 
Eleanor  was  cozily  cornered  with  Jack  in  the  den, 
doing  her  utmost  to  make  him  forget  Polly  for 
the  time  being,  when  the  Jap  came  to  the  living- 
room  door  and  announced  a  new  caller. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

NECESSARY   EXPLANATIONS 

ELEANOR  was  not  to  be  seen  when  a  young  man 
came  in  the  room  and  was  joyously  welcomed  by 
everyone  present.  Tom  Latimer  had  disap- 
peared also,  a  short  time  before  this,  and  Polly 
was  sitting  in  the  wide  seat  built  in  the  window, 
staring  out  over  the  roofs  of  the  buildings  with- 
out seeing  a  thing. 

The  delighted  exclamations  from  those  in  the 
room,  however,  drew  her  attention,  and  she  was 
rejoiced  to  see  Paul  Stewart  shaking  hands  with 
those  crowding  about  him.  So  Polly  left  her 
shadowy  retreat  and  ran  over  to  welcome  him, 
too. 

Paul  was  saying:  "Isn't  it  too  jolly  of  John  to 
send  me  East  for  the  Holidays,  by  making  me 
power-of-attorney  for  the  Stock-holders  meeting 
the  first  of  January.  That  was  the  only  way  I 
could  have  come — by  having  my  fare  paid!"  Paul 

213 


2i4    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

laughed  because  they  all  knew  of  his  financial 
problems,  and  how  he  was  striving  to  win  success 
that  he  might  propose  to  Eleanor. 

Polly  felt  annoyed  because  she  was  sure  Elea- 
nor had  led  Tom  to  the  den  that  she  might  advise 
him  further  in  his  love-affairs.  And  it  was  this  ; 
interference  by  Eleanor,  that  roused  much  of 
Polly's  indifference  or  impatience  towards  Tom. 
Now  she  felt  she  had  been  given  a  good  oppor- 
tunity to  square  accounts  with  her  chum. 

Paul  and  she  were  standing  alone  for  a  moment, 
when  she  saw  him  looking  about  for  someone. 
She  gave  the  desired  cue :  "You'll  find  Nolla  with 
Tom,  enjoying  a  tete-a-tete  in  Mr.  Dalken's  little 
den  across  the  hallway,  Paul." 

As  she  watched  Paul  hurriedly  excuse  himself, 
she  experienced  a  new  sensation — that  of  grati- 
fied revenge  on  a  friend.  She  walked  about  the 
room,  apparently  looking  at  the  pictures,  but  really 
to  reach  the  hall  without  attracting  attention. 
Once  she  got  out  of  the  room,  she  made  a  dash  for 
a  shadowy  corner  made  by  an  old  ormolu  secre- 
taire between  the  two  doors.  She  could  see  into 
the  den  and  watch  Paul's  next  action. 

Two  huge  Turkish  chairs  were  drawn  up  be- 
fore the  fire-place  but  the  electric  lights  were  out 
and  only  the  candles  on  the  tables  near  the  door 


NECESSARY  EXPLANATIONS     215 

were  lighted.  The  leaping  flames  of  the  logs 
burning  in  the  fire-place  threw  dancing  shadows 
over  the  two  occupants  of  the  chairs,  but  anyone 
standing  near  the  door  could  not  see  who  these 
occupants  were. 

Paul  crept  stealthily  over  to  the  chairs,  planning 
to  surprise  his  two  old  friends — believing  Tom  to 
be  one,  and  Eleanor  the  other.  He  lifted  his 
hands  with  the  intention  of  clapping  them  over 
Eleanor's  eyes  to  make  her  guess  who  was  there, 
when  he  heard  words  that  rooted  him  to  the  spot. 
Polly  saw  but  could  not  hear,  so  she  lost  the  best 
part  of  her  retaliation  on  Eleanor. 

Just  as  Paul  was  about  to  bring  down  his  palms 
over  Eleanor's  eyes,  a  strange  voice  murmured 
intensely:  "You  know  how  I  feel  about  it,  Nolla. 
This  love  is  so  absorbing  that  I  cannot  give  my 
attention  to  studies,  or  to  any  other  important 
matter.  If  I  am  treated  to  second  place,  now 
that  another  lover  is  at  hand,  I  will  clear  out  of 
New  York  and  never  be  heard  from  again.  In 
fact,  I  am  going  to  purposely  throw  myself  in  the 
way  of  danger  and  end  it  all!" 

Paul  realized  that  another  man  had  found  his 
treasure  and  had  been  encouraged,  or  why  should 
he  be  saying  "given  second-place  now  that  an- 
other lover  is  at  hand?"  And  it  was  evident  that 


216    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

someone  knew  of  his,  Paul's,  proposed  visit,  as 
this  young  man  knew  of  his  coming  to  see  Elea- 
nor. 

Such  is  the  mortal's  egotism !  One  never  thinks 
of  others  in  connection  with  a  selfish  hope  or 
idea,  but  believes  that  anything  seen  or  heard 
must  appertain  to  that  one  thing.  So  Paul 
thought  Eleanor  was  the  love  this  young  man  re- 
ferred to,  and  that  she  had  given  him  second- 
place  because  of  Paul's  coming. 

These  thoughts  flitted  through  his  mind  as 
young  Baxter  concluded,  and  Eleanor  waited  a 
moment  before  answering.  Then  she  said  with 
a  sigh:  "Dear  Jack,  a  mild  little  flirtation  never 
hurt  any  real  case  of  love,  and  I've  told  you  many 
times,  that  a  game  of  love  like  this  would  im- 
prove or  become  fatal,  because  of  such  a  flirtation. 
Like  anti-toxin — it  kills  the  germs  or  makes  them 
wild  so  that  no  further  doubt  remains  about  the 
patient.  Let's  use  the  hypodermic  courageously 
and  watch  results.  If  the  love-germ  dies,  then  go 
and  throw  yourself  on  the  railroad  track  and  end 
your  troubles.  But  should  the  opposite  effect  re- 
sult, you  can  always  think  of  me  as  the  specialist 
who  advised  the  heroic  treatment !" 

Paul  was  shocked  to  hear  his  "angel-girl"  talk 


NECESSARY  EXPLANATIONS     217 

of  her  love  in  such  a  dreadfully  frank  way,  but  the 
suitor's  next  sentence  left  no  doubt  in  Paul's  mind 
that  Eleanor  was  a  horrid  flirt. 

"Well,  Nolla,  you  must  know  best.  Paul  has 
been  in  love  with  you  for  a  long  time,  now,  and 
you've  had  many  young  admirers  since  you  came 
to  New  York;  so  you  understand  and  appreciate 
my  present  position  and  my  right  to  demand  one 
thing  or  the  other — either  /  am  the  accepted  one, 
or  the  other  man.  Both  of  us  cannot  be  kept 
dangling  about,  nor  take  turns  in  loving  when  the 
other  is  absent  from  New  York." 

Paul  was  distressed  at  hearing  this — that 
Eleanor  could  accept  the  attentions  of  other  men 
when  he,  Paul,  was  so  hard  at  work  out  West, 
trying  to  succeed  in  his  profession  that  he  might 
offer  her  a  suitable  home !  Now  she  was  flirting 
with  others,  and  this  young  man  was  heart-broken 
over  her  short-comings,  even  as  he,  Paul,  wau, 

Polly  saw  Paul  wheel  and  rush  from  the  room, 
and  immediately  after  that,  Eleanor  and  Jack 
jumped  up  from  the  chairs  and  gazed  at  the  door 
where  the  intruder  had  disappeared.  When 
Polly  saw  who  Eleanor's  companion  was,  she 
gasped  in  astonishment,  for  she  believed  it  was 
Tom  sitting  before  the  fire. 


2i 8    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Had  Polly  hurried  after  Paul,  to  explain  mat- 
ters to  him,  all  would  have  ended  well  that  eve- 
ning, but  she  went  to  the  room  where  her  wraps 
had  been  left  and  sat  down  to  think  out  the  prob- 
lem. Meantime,  Paul  found  Mr.  Dalken  and 
drew  him  aside  to  say : 

"Don't  ask  questions,  and  don't  try  to  stop  me, 
but  I  am  going  away  as  quick  as  I  can.  I'm 
through  with  girls  for  all  time.  They're  not  to 
be  trusted  when  a  man's  absent.  I'm  going  to 
live  for  my  mother,  hereafter,  and  make  her  life 
happy." 

Mr.  Dalken  was  taken  by  surprise,  because  he 
had  no  key  to  this  new  puzzle,  but  he  said :  "Do 
wait,  my  boy,  and  have  some  refreshments  with  us. 
I  have  so  much  to  ask  you  about  the  mine." 

"No — no!  I  can't  stay.  The  mine  isn't  my 
affair  anyway,  and  I  was  a  fool  to  coax  John  to 
give  me  power-of-attorney  to  come  East  for  him. 
Now  I'm  rushing  back  and  he  can  send  Tom  Lat- 
imer  the  affidavit  necessary  for  the  meeting  in 
January." 

"Now,  now,  Paul!  You  are  a  hot-headed 
young  fellow  and  I  feel  sure  matters  can  be  ex- 
plained quickly,  if  you  will  but  wait!" 

Paul  scowled  and  stiffened  his  spine  as  he  re- 
plied: "Mr.  Dalken,  I  heard  with  my  own  ears, 


NECESSARY  EXPLANATIONS     219 

that  Nolla  is  infatuated  with  another  young  man. 
She  said,  and  I  heard  her  say  it:  'She  was  not  cer- 
tain which  one  of  us  she  preferred  but  the  test 
would  show  if  she  used  a  good  dose  of  anti-toxin 
to  help  the  germ !  But  I'm  no  'second  fiddle'  even 
if  that  other  fellow  is !  If  a  girl  can't  tell  whether 
she  loves  me  without  using  hypodermics  to  help 
her  find  out,  then  she's  no  wife  for  me !  Maybe 
I'm  a  wild  and  woolly  westerner  from  Denver, 
but  believe  me !  we  westerners  never  stand  around 
waiting  for  a  bit  to  be  forced  between  our 
teeth." 

Mr.  Dalken  could  hardly  restrain  his  sudden 
desire  to  laugh,  but  he  averted  his  head  for  a 
moment  and  covered  his  face  with  a  handkerchief 
until  he  composed  his  risibles,  then  he  said:  "Still, 
I  am  sure  I  can  mediate  in  this  case,  Paul.  Only 
stay  and  let  me  inquire." 

"I  guess  not!  No  one  can  mediate  between 
me  and  a  flirt!  I  am  through,  I  say,  and  I'm 
going  home!" 

So  saying  Paul  thrust  out  his  hand  and  Mr. 
Dalken  had  to  take  it.  "Good-by,  and  say  good- 
by  to  the  others  for  me.  This  much  I  want  you 
to  do,  as  I  will  not  see  them  again!" 

Mr.  Dalken  went  to  the  door  with  his  excited 
guest  and  saw  him  go  down  on  the  elevator,  then 


220    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

he  rushed  madly  back  to  the  telephone  and  ordered 
the  man  to  detain  the  departing  guest.  Back  to 
the  den  where  he  had  seen  Eleanor  standing  with 
Jack,  was  his  next  act,  and  dragging  both  out  of 
the  apartment  and  along  the  hall  to  the  elevator, 
he  pushed  the  button  furiously. 

While  the  wondering  attendant  was  coming  up, 
Mr.  Dalken  said :  "What  in  the  name  of  conscience 
did  you  two  crazy  creatures  do  or  say  to  Paul 
Stewart,  to  drive  him  frantic?" 

Jack  stared  in  ignorance  of  what  his  guardian 
meant,  but  Eleanor  gazed  as  if  she  thought  Mr. 
Dalken  had  suddenly  gone  mad.  The  elevator 
stopped  at  their  floor,  and  the  man  opened  the 
gate.  Mr.  Dalken  pulled  his  two  companions  on, 
and  the  man  started  down  again. 

All  this  time,  Eleanor  was  speechless  with  doubt 
of  Mr.  Dalken's  sanity  but  the  elevator  man 
turned  to  him  and  said :  "The  young  man  I  just 
took  down,  refused  to  remain.  He  said  he  would 
arrest  anyone  who  tried  to  detain  him  against  his 
will." 

Mr.  Dalken  ran  his  hands  through  his  hair  and 
rolled  his  eyes  upward.  Turning  to  Eleanor  he 
hissed:  "What  did  you  say  to  Paul  to  make  him 
act  like  a  man  in  torment?" 


NECESSARY  EXPLANATIONS     221 

"Paul!  Are  you  crazy,  Mr.  Dalken?"  asked 
Eleanor,  fearfully. 

"No,  but  you  must  be  to  throw  over  such  a 
sweetheart.  You'll  wait  a  long  time  before  you 
get  another  like  him,  even  though  I  do  like  Jack 
immensely,  and  will  further  his  case  when  he  meets 
the  right  girl.  I'm  sure  you  are  not  the  right  one, 
and  you  ought  to  know  it,  from  what  you  told  me 
yourself,  yesterday.  Can't  you  see  that  Jack 
thinks  he  loves  Polly,  just  because  she  won't  have 
him?" 

"Of  course  I  understand!"  retorted  Eleanor, 
but  annoyed  that  her  plot  to  bring  Polly  and  Tom 
together  again  was  exposed. 

"Then  why  in  the  name  of  heavens  did  you  send 
Paul  away  believing  it  was  you  that  Jack  wanted?" 

Before  an  answer  could  be  given,  the  elevator 
reached  the  ground  floor  and  the  man  quickly 
opened  the  doors.  Out  in  the  vestibule  the  tele- 
phone-operator was  button-holing  a  young  man 
and  using  every  persuasion  to  detain  him. 

Jack  Baxter  had  never  seen  Paul  so  he  did  not 
recognize  him  now.  But  Eleanor  did,  and  she 
stood  stock-still  in  such  surprise  that  Mr.  Dalken 
ran  ahead  without  her. 

"Paul,  Paul !     I  knew  you  had  made  a  mistake. 


222     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Eleanor  is  here  to  explain  everything,"  said  he, 
taking  the  place  of  the  amazed  servant. 

"What  can  she  explain  that  will  change  my 
opinion  of  her?"  scorned  Paul,  sending  a  cold 
look  at  poor  Eleanor. 

"Nolla,  come  here,  Paul  wants  you  to  explain," 
begged  Mr.  Dalken,  beside  himself. 

Her  first  surprise  at  finding  Paul  Stewart  in 
New  York  and  in  the  house,  passed  over  and 
Eleanor  forgot  Jack  and  everything  else,  as  she 
rushed  forward  to  welcome  her  old  sweetheart. 

"Paul— Oh  Paul!  When  did  you  come?" 
cried  she. 

But  Paul's  haughty  stare  stopped  her  when  she 
was  not  ten  inches  from  him.  He  turned  to  Mr. 
Dalken  and  said :  "Now  that  you've  broken  your 
word  with  me,  you  had  best  explain." 

"I  broken  my  word!  I  never  gave  my  word 
to  anything  that  is  broken.  Remember,  Paul, 
you  may  be  a  hot-headed  impulsive  youth,  but  you 
cannot  make  such  sweeping  accusations  without 
grounds  for  them.  I  am  so  sorry  for  you  in  your 
disappointment  that  I  will  excuse  you  this  time, 
however,  and  explain  for  your  benefit,  that  I 
caught  hold  of  Jack  and  Nolla  after  you  left  and 
dragged  them  down  here  without  'breaking  my 
word'  as  you  claim,  or  any  other  unhonorable 


NECESSARY  EXPLANATIONS     223 

deed.  Unless  you  consider  getting  at  the  truth 
is  unprincipled."  Mr.  Dalken  was  stern  and  dig- 
nified in  his  self-justification,  and  Paul  had  the 
grace  to  flush  uncomfortably. 

Eleanor  was  standing,  uncertain  of  what  was 
best  to  do  in  this  strange  meeting.  She  had  felt 
over-joyed  a  moment  before,  to  find  Paul  there, 
but  now  she  wondered  why  he  was  so  angry,  and 
why  he  had  not  waited  to  greet  her,  as  long  as 
he  had  been  up  in  the  apartment.  Baxter,  not 
feeling  at  home  in  this  group,  turned  and  asked 
the  man  to  take  him  up  again. 

Mr.  Dalken  had  not  seen  Jack  leave  again,  so 
he  turned  to  call  him,  but  found  he  had  dis- 
appeared. 

"Nolla,  what  did  you  say  to  Paul  when  he  met 
you?"  demanded  the  older  man. 

"I?  Why,  Mr.  Dalken,  I  never  knew  Paul 
was  here.  The  first  hint  I  had  of  something  un- 
usual was  when  you  rushed  in  to  drag  us  down- 
stairs." 

Mr.  Dalken  was  puzzled  so  he  turned  to  Paul. 
"Then  why  did  you  say  Nolla  was  a  flirt  and  had 
made  a  fool  of  you  ?  I  thought  she  met  you  and 
began  to  tease,  as  she  does  everyone." 

"There  was  no  need  of  her  saying  anything  to 
me,  as  I  heard  her  tell,  when  she  was  not  aware 


224    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

of  my  standing  behind  her  chair,  that  the  young 
man  she  was  with  might  prove  to  be  the  accepted 
love  after  all."  Then  Paul  repeated  the  sub- 
stance of  the  talk  he  had  overheard  between  Jack 
and  Eleanor. 

As  he  concluded,  Eleanor  laughed  hysterically 
and  held  out  her  hands  to  Mr.  Dalken  beseech- 
ingly. "Oh,  dear  Dalky!  Can't  you  see  how 
Paul  misunderstood  everything!  I  was  speaking 
of  Jack's  case  with  Polly,  and  advising  him  in  re- 
gard to  Tom.  I  know  Jack  is  not  seriously  in 
love  with  Polly,  but  he  fancies  himself  so,  because 
Polly  is  so  attractive  and  indifferent  to  him.  As 
Jack  has  always  been  flattered  and  made  love  to 
by  society  girls,  this  unexpected  attitude  of  Polly's 
piqued  the  boy.  I  did  my  best  tonight,  to  show 
all  three  of  these  silly  young  things  where  they 
stood  in  this  serious  matter.  And  to  think,  I  got 
myself  in  hot  water  for  trying  to  help  my 
friends!"  Eleanor  unexpectedly  broke  out  in 
sobs  and  leaned  her  head  against  Mr.  Dalken's 
shoulder. 

Paul  began  to  accuse  himself  for  being  a  brute, 
and  Mr.  Dalken  patted  Eleanor's  head  and  said 
comfortingly:  "Never  mind,  Nolla  dear.  You'll 
learn  by  bitter  experience  that  the  more  one  in- 


NECESSARY  EXPLANATIONS     225 

terferes  in  these  love  tangles  for  the  sake  of  help- 
ing friends  out  of  their  troubles,  the  more  our 
friends  detest  us  and  we  end  in  falling  into  snares 
ourselves." 

"Um — don't  I  know  it  now!"  wept  Eleanor, 
in  a  muffled  voice,  because  her  mouth  was  hard 
against  her  comforter's  coat. 

Paul  stood  uncertain  of  what  to  say  or  do.  He 
shifted  his  weight  from  one  foot  to  the  other, 
and  glanced  around,  but  always  brought  his 
wandering  eyes  back  to  Eleanor's  shaking 
form. 

An  interruption,  in  shape  of  the  entrance  of 
some  merry  tenants  of  another  apartment,  sud- 
denly caused  Mr.  Dalken  to  lift  Eleanor's  head 
and  hurry  her,  with  Paul,  into  the  reception  room 
at  one  end  of  the  main  hall.  Here  they  sat  down 
to  have  an  understanding. 

When  the  facts  were  fully  revealed,  Paul  was 
as  grateful  to  Mr.  Dalken  for  restraining  him  in 
his  plans  to  run  away,  as  Eleanor  was  for  his 
hasty  removal  of  her  from  upstairs,  to  the  hall 
downstairs.  And  poor  Mr.  Dalken  was  most 
grateful  to  find  he  had  made  peace  between  two 
disturbed  young  hearts.  He  got  up  and  said: 
"Let's  hope  you  won't  curse  me  in  the  future,  for 


226    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

this  reconciliation.  And  for  goodness'  sake! 
Let  me  get  upstairs  to  my  guests,  and  help  Taki 
serve  refreshments,  or  the  oysters  will  be  ruined 
with  stewing,  while  the  wonderful  French  patties 
I  got  from  Del's,  will  be  cold  and  clammy." 

Eleanor  laughed,  and  beckoned  Paul  to  come 
up  again.  So  the  grinning  elevator  man  carried 
them  up  and  very  considerately  accepted  the  tip 
Paul  slipped  into  his  palm  as  he  stepped  from 
the  lift. 

The  Japanese  butler  had  not  waited  for  Mr. 
Dalken,  however,  and  was  passing  the  famous 
patties  and  sandwiches  when  the  three  absent 
members  of  the  party,  entered  again,  and  tried  to 
act  as  if  nothing  unusual  had  happened. 

Polly  had  witnessed  Paul's  flying  departure, 
and  thereafter  saw  Jack  and  Eleanor  astounded 
in  the  darkened  library.  When  Mr.  Dalken 
rushed  in  and  dragged  them  both  away,  Polly 
stood  open-mouthed  and  stared  after  them.  The 
Jap  wisely  hurried  forward  and  carefully  closed 
the  front  door,  then  went  back  to  his  duties  with- 
out showing  that  he  had  seen  the  queer  perform- 
ances of  his  master,  or  found  Polly  standing 
there,  the  single  witness  of  the  scene. 

Polly  still  stooc\  in  the  hall  deeply  perplexed, 
when  Tom  sauntered  from  Mr.  Dalken's  bed- 


NECESSARY  EXPLANATIONS     227 

room  where  he  had  been  smoking  a  cigarette  to 
steady  his  nerves.  Now  he  joined  Polly  and  be- 
gan a  conventional  phrase,  but  was  suddenly  in- 
terrupted by  her. 

"What  does  all  this  silly  behavior  mean?"  de- 
manded she. 

"Do  you  refer  to  my  behavior?"  asked  Tom, 
blandly. 

Polly's  eyes  snapped.  "Of  course  not!  Must 
you  always  think  yourself  first  and  foremost?" 

As  this  was  an  unexpected  and  undeserved  slap 
for  Tom,  he  was  still  groping  for  a  clue,  when 
Polly's  angry  impatience  with  herself  for  having 
made  such  a  blunder  in  her  calculations  about 
Eleanor  and  the  others,  made  her  exclaim : 

"Well,  I  can  plainly  see  that  Nolla  will  never 
make  any  sort  of  a  business  partner  for  me !  Her 
foolish  head  is  so  turned  by  beaus,  that  she  will 
never  settle  down  until  Paul  has  either  spurned 
her  love,  or  she  is  married  and  divorced  again. 
Then  there  may  be  hopes  of  her  attending  to  our 
work." 

As  Tom  was  not  aware  of  Paul's  sudden  ap- 
pearance and  hasty  departure,  he  still  pondered 
what  was  best  to  say  to  Polly,  in  her  unusual  pet- 
tish mood.  But  she  paid  no  heed  to  his  silence 
and  continued,  like  most  women  will  when  they 


228    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

have  been  mistaken,  and  fear  the  consequences  of 
an  ill-advised  step. 

"I  declare !  if  Paul  does  come  back  and  makes 
up  with  Nolla,  I  shall  move  heaven  and  earth  i 
to  see  that  they  are  safely  engaged  this  time! 
And  that  Jack  Baxter,  well,  I'll  make  Dalky  ship 
him  off  to  some  distant  college  so  there'll  be  no 
further  wasting  of  valuable  time  with  him!" 

This  last  declaration  so  over-joyed  Tom  that 
he  found  courage  to  offer  a  suggestion.  But  he 
was  too  unwise  this  time.  "You're  absolutely 
right,  Polly  dear.  That  Baiter  has  nothing  bet- 
ter to  do  than  kill  time.  He  never  did  a  stroke 
of  work  in  his  life,  nor  did  his  father  before  him. 
Those  young  'lady's  men*  who  live  on  their  an- 
cestor's rewards  of  labor,  never  amount  to  a  row 
of  beans." 

Polly  stared  freezingjy  at  Tom,  but  he  was 
completely  mesmerized  with  the  romantic  picture 
he  was  presenting,  and  so  he  continued  oblivious 
of  his  companion's  expression. 

"We'll  send  Baxter  flying,  after  this,  and  help 
poor  Paul  to  hold  his  place  with  Nolla.  I'll  wire 
Paul  to  fix  it  so  he  can  come  East  for  Christmas, 
and  surprise  Nolla.  Then  we'll  all  announce  a 
double  engagement,  eh?" 


NECESSARY  EXPLANATIONS     229 

Tom  turned  to  watch  Polly's  face  as  she  surely 
must  second  his  plan,  but  he  changed  his  mind 
when  he  saw  her  frown.  "As  usual,  Tom,  you're 
much  too  late  in  your  brilliant  ideas.  Others  are 
ahead  of  you.  Paul  has  been  here  tonight  and 
gone  again,  and  Nolla  will  never  have  any  en- 
gagement to  announce — if  she  waits  for  Paul's 
declaration. 

"As  for  me!  My  announcements  are  being 
engraved  now." 

Tom  caught  his  breath  in  consternation  at  this 
news.  "Your  announcements,  Polly!  Oh,  and 
you  jilted  me,  after  all!" 

Polly  enjoyed  turning  the  knife  in  the  wound, 
because  she  felt  so  wretched  herself  for  having 
ruined  Eleanor's  happiness. 

"I  could  not  jilt  anyone  who  never  proposed, 
could  I  ?  I  have  maintained  for  a  long  time,  and 
everyone  who  knows  me  is  aware  of  it,  too — that 
I  am  engaged  to  my  profession  and  I  have  or- 
dered my  announcements  to  that  effect.  I  pro- 
pose sending  out  my  business  cards  the  first  week 
of  January!" 

The  relief  to  Tom  was  so  great  that  he  sighed 
aloud:  "Oh,  thank  heavens  for  that!" 

"I  knew  you  would  be  glad,  Tom;  so  you  see 


23o    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

you  are  sensible  after  all,  and  can  thank  heaven 
that  you  had  no  cause  to  be  jilted!"  laughed  Polly, 
maliciously,  but  she  felt  no  satisfaction  in  this  out- 
come of  her  understanding  with  Tom. 


CHAPTER  XV 

MUTUAL   CONSOLATION 

IT  was  at  this  point  in  Polly's  independent 
speech  that  the  door  opened  and  Mr.  Dalken 
came  in  with  his  two  repentant  lovers.  Tom 
saw  that  the  clouds  had  been  dispersed  and  now 
there  seemed  to  be  a  clear  sky  for  Paul.  But  he 
was  curious  to  hear  what  had  happened  during 
the  short  time  he  had  been  smoking  that  cigarette. 

Polly  also  saw  Paul  return  with  Nolla,  and 
when  she  saw  the  happy  smiles  on  both  faces,  she 
groaned,  and  turned  to  go  to  the  library  where, 
so  little  time  before,  the  tragic  lover  had  escaped 
with  a  determination  to  never  look  at  another 
girl  as  long  as  he  lived — excepting  his  mother. 

Tom  followed  Mr.  Dalken  to  the  dining-room 
to  learn  the  particulars  about  the  two  individuals 
who  had  meekly  followed  the  host  back  to  the 
apartment;  while  Polly  sank  down  in  one  of  the 
Turkish  arm-chairs  recently  occupied  by  the  two 
plotting  match-makers. 


23  2     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Mr.  Dalken  rolled  his  eyes  ceiling-ward  and 
complained:  "I  can't  understand  why  I  should 
be  chosen  by  Providence  to  act  as  peace-maker 
between  jealous  lovers,  or  quarrelsome  husbands 
and  wives.  It  is  one  of  the  most  thankless  jobs 
a  man  can  have." 

Tom  laughed  in  spite  of  his  eagerness  to  be 
told  the  details.  "Maybe  it  is  because  you  have 
so  much  feeling  for  heartsick  mortals,"  said  he. 

Mr.  Dalken  looked  serious.  "Yes,  Tom  my 
boy,  you  spoke  the  truth  there.  If  anyone  knows 
the  misery  caused  by  fools  and  faithlessness,  I'm 
that  one.  Perhaps  that  is  the  reason  I  can  me- 
diate for  my  friends." 

"I  was  going  to  ask  you  to  mediate  for  me,  with 
Polly,  but  I  haven't  the  heart  to  ask  you,  now," 
ventured  Tom. 

"Why,  you  big  ninny,  I've  done  nothing  else 
but  try  to  mediate  between  you  two  for  the  past 
two  years.  If  matters  haven't  reached  a  crisis 
by  this  time,  I'd  better  give  up  the  case  and  let 
you  get  a  specialist,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Dalken. 

"Tell  me  exactly  where  I  stand  now,  and  I'll 
excuse  you  from  further  annoyance  on  my  part." 

"Great  Scott,  Man  I  Can't  you  tell  where  you 
stand?  How  can  /  judge.  You  surely  don't 
want  me  to  propose  for  you,  do  you?" 


MUTUAL  CONSOLATION         235 

Tom  couldn't  afford  to  feel  indignant,  as  he  had 
to  ask  his  friend  what  had  happened  to  Paul  and 
Eleanor,  during  his  temporary  absence  from  the 
others.  So  Mr.  Dalken  told  as  much  of  the  story 
as  he  had  been  able  to  understand,  concluding 
with  the  admonition :  "Now  that  Jack  can't  wile 
away  time  with  Nolla,  he  will,  doubtless,  turn  his 
full  attention  to  Polly." 

That  was  the  only  malicious  remark  the  poor 
man  permitted  himself  to  indulge  in.  But  Tom 
took  it  seriously  and  said:  "Thanks  awfully,  for 
the  hint.  I'll  keep  after  Polly  myself,  until  Baxr 
ter  gives  up  the  chase."  And  with  that  he  hur- 
ried away  to  find  Polly. 

He  found  Paul  and  Eleanor  sitting  in  the  deep 
window-seat  where  Polly  had  been  the  early  part 
of  the  evening,  and  as  he  wandered  about  for  a 
glimpse  of  his  "Heart's  Desire,"  the  Jap  came 
over  with  a  tray  and  said : 

"Mis'r  Tom  look  fer  supper?  Taki  keep  nice 
patty  for  him." 

Jack  Baxter  was  near  enough  to  hear  Taki, 
and  he  laughed  jeeringly  as  he  said :  "Oh,  what 
a  fine  man  you  are,  Taki!  You  know  exactly 
what  your  master's  guests  are  wanting — patties 
or  Pollies!" 

Taki  grinned  but  failed  to  grasp  the  young 


234    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

man's  meaning.  Tom  did,  however,  and  leaving 
the  oyster  patty  on  the  tray,  he  stalked  across  to 
Jack  and  said,  threateningly: 

"How  dare  you  speak  like  that?  Mentioning 
Miss  Brewster's  name  in  the  same  breath  as  an 
oyster  patty  or  a  poll-parrot." 

But  the  truth  of  the  matter  was,  Jack  had  never 
meant  to  convey  the  meaning,  when  he  said  "Pol- 
lies,"  that  he  spoke  of  parrots.  So  he  instantly 
took  the  stand  of  the  offended  one. 

"How  dare  you  even  hint  at  such  an  insult  to 
a  friend  of  mine?  I  consider  Miss  Brewster  too 
far  above  either  you  or  me  to  discuss  her  with 
you,  about  such  matters." 

Wise  Taki  had  disappeared  quickly  and  in  an- 
other moment  the  harassed  host  came  hurrying 
from  the  serving  board.  He  glowered  upon 
Tom  and  Jack,  and  grasping  each  one  by  the  arm, 
he  hustled  them  out  into  the  main  hall  of  the 
building  and  then  spoke. 

"You  two  bullies  go  down  in  the  street  and 
fight  it  out.  I'll  do  you  the  favor  to  ring  up  the 
police  station  and  call  a  cop  to  come  around  and 
take  you  both  in  custody — that's  where  you  be- 
long, until  you  come  to  your  senses.  If  7  were  a 
girl  I'd  never  look  at  either  of  you  again." 

But  this  advice  cooled  their  anger,  and  the  mo- 


MUTUAL  CONSOLATION        23$ 

ment  Mr.  Dalken  turned  to  go  back  to  his  apart- 
ment both  men  laughed  at  the  situation.  Tom  of- 
fered his  hand  and  Baxter  shook  it.  Then  each 
apologised  to  the  other,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
they  started  for  the  door  of  the  apartment. 

But  the  door  was  locked,  and,  in  front  of  it  on 
the  mat,  were  two  small  heaps:  one  was  com- 
posed of  Tom's  coat  and  hat,  with  a  patty  and 
sandwich  on  a  wooden  plate,  on  top  of  it.  The 
other  small  heap  was  Jack's  dress-cape,  with  his 
silk  hat  topping  it,  and  in  the  hat,  were  his  gloves 
and  the  plate  with  refreshments.  His  cane  hung 
on  the  door-knob. 

All  the  bell-ringing  Tom  indulged  in,  there- 
after, failed  to  bring  any  answer.  So  the  two 
young  men,  highly  amused  by  their  host's  farewell 
act,  ate  the  scanty  refreshments  handed  out,  and 
then  left  the  two  wooden  plates  in  front  of  the 
door,  with  a  note  on  each.  The  pencilled  scrawls 
said :  "Two  hungry  beggars  thank  the  rich  man 
who  threw  them  the  crumbs  from  his  table." 

After  they  had  gone  down  to  the  ground  floor, 
Jack  said:  "I'll  try  to  get  Dalken  on  the  tele- 
phone and  ask  him  to  send  us  down  enough  com- 
pany to  keep  us  from  going  to  sleep  in  the  recep- 
tion room." 

Tom  laughed  and  stood  eagerly  waiting  to  hear 


236    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

the  reply.  But  the  operator  smiled  and  reported : 
"Mr.  Dalken  called  down  a  few  minutes  ago,  and 
said  that  he  was  not  at  home  to  anyone — not  even 
to  friends — until  tomorrow  morning." 

So  the  two  chagrined  young  men  left,  and 
whatever  they  did  during  the  next  few  hours,  no 
one  ever  knew,  but  from  that  evening  both  forgot 
their  rivalry  and  became  fast  friends.  Jack  sud- 
denly decided  to  go  West  and  finish  his  engineer- 
ing studies  in  the  mountains  about  Pebbly  Pit. 
And  Tom  decided  to  make  one  last  stand  for 
Polly,  and  should  she  still  refuse  him  on  the  basis 
that  she  must  finish  a  business  experience  first, 
then  he  would  knuckle  down  to  hard  work  and 
forget  all  about  her,  forever. 

It  was  easier  for  Jack  to  carry  out  his  purpose 
than  for  Tom  to  leave  New  York  and  forget 
Polly.  But  Jack  managed  to  do  as  he  had  out- 
lined, and  before  Christmas  Day  he  had  said 
good-by  and  was  on  his  way  to  Denver. 

Tom  spent  so  much  time  and  preparation  be- 
fore the  mirror  in  his  room,  perfecting  himself 
in  the  art  of  proposing  to  Polly,  in  such  a  way 
that  she  would  be  impressed,  that  he  became  quite 
self-conscious  of  his  pose  and  words.  On  Christ- 
mas Day,  he  planned  to  coax  her  away  by  her- 
self, and  then  fall  upon  his  knees  and  tell  his  story. 


MUTUAL  CONSOLATION         237 

He  had  a  magnificent  solitaire  in  his  pocket,  wait-, 
ing  to  be  displayed  at  the  right  moment. 

No  one  saw  Tom  all  that  Christmas  morning^ 
although  his  friends  called  on  the  telephone,  both 
at  his  home  and  at  the  hotel.  He  did  not  reply 
to  any  calls.  But  late  in  the  afternoon  he  saun-. 
tered  forth  from  his  room,  looking  more  like  a 
silly  dandy  than  a  big  sensible  young  man  who 
was  one  of  the  best  engineers  in  the  West. 

He  got  in  a  taxi  and  gave  directions.  In  front 
of  Mr.  Fabian's  house,  he  paid  the  driver  and 
went  up  the  steps.  After  he  had  rung  the  bell, 
he  felt  in  his  pocket  to  make  sure  the  ring-box 
was  there.  This  was  about  the  twentieth  time  he 
had  assured  himself. 

The  maid  opened  the  door,  and  looked  sorry 
for  him. 

"Miss  Polly?  Are  the  ladies  in?"  stammered 
Tom. 

"No'm — no-sir,  I  mean,"  returned  the  maid, 
confused  at  his  certainty  of  finding  them  at  home. 
"They  went  out  an  hour  ago,  after  tryin'  to  get 
you  on  the  'phone.  They  says  they  won't  be  back 
till  after  midnight,  sir." 

"Did  they  say  where  they  were  going?"  asked 
Tom. 

"No'm — No-sir!     But    I    hear'n    Miss    Polly 


238     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

talk  to  someone  on  the  'phone  and  she  says :  'Oh 
how  lovely!  We'll  all  go  with  you.  And  we'll 
meet  you  there  for  dinner,'  "  repeated  the  maid. 
"You  see,  I  was  openin'  th'  door  to  take  more 
presents  for  the  young  ladies,  so  I  hear'n  that 
much  of  the  talk  from  the  table  'phone  in  the  back 
hall." 

Tom  thanked  her  with  a  sinking  heart,  and 
turned  away.  Once  more  his  fingers  mechanically 
felt  for  the  ring  box  but  he  experienced  no  thrill 
this  time,  when  he  found  it  was  safe. 

He  walked  slowly  cross-town  and  recklessly 
passed  over  Broadway  with  its  traffic  in  full  swing, 
looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left.  The 
officer  shouted  to  rouse  him  from  his  apathy,  but 
it  failed  to  work. 

He  reached  the  park  and  found  a  bench. 
There  he  sat  down  without  looking  at  the  seat. 
A  frantic  boy  ran  over  and  yelled:  "Get  up, 
mister!  Get  up — you'se  sittin'  on  my  Chrismus 
candy!" 

Tom  got  up  as  mechanically  as  an  automaton, 
but  a  few  of  the  gummy  candies  clung  to  his 
coat-tails,  while  the  boy  fearful  of  losing  such 
treasure  ran  after  the  man  to  pick  off  the  sticky 
sweets. 

When  he  found  another  bench  that  was  clear, 


MUTUAL  CONSOLATION         23$ 

and  no  boys  nearby  to  worry  his  soul,  Tom  sat 
down  and  sulked.  Having  practised  so  faithfully 
all  that  day,  in  adding  the  finishing  touches  of 
grace  to  his  lesson  of  proposing,  it  was  a  bitter 
dose  to  find  all  his  work  was  wasted.  Polly  had 
joyfully  accepted  someone  else's  invitation  to  go 
away  and  have  a  good  time,  leaving  him  alone 
and  heart-broken. 

Sleet  and  drizzle  began  falling,  and  Tom  was 
soon  soaked  through,  but  he  was  heedless  of  cling- 
ing clothes  and  wet  shoes. 

After  an  hour  of  self-pity,  he  got  up  and  started 
down  the  drive.  By  this  time  he  was  almost 
frozen,  but  he  congratulated  himself  on  the  fact 
that  he  might  have  pneumonia  and  die.  Then 
Polly  might  feel  sorry  for  her  coldness! 

Following  the  suggestion  this  idea  presented, 
Tom  wilfully  waded  through  the  slush  in  the  gut- 
ters, and  thoroughly  drenched  his  patent-leather 
shoes  in  crossing  the  streets,  until  his  feet  were 
not  only  wet  but  freezing  inside  the  shoes. 

He  found  a  cheap  restaurant  where  the  show- 
windows  displayed  baskets  of  artificial  fruit;  and 
as  a  center-piece  of  this  decoration,  there  was  a 
great  block  of  ice  holding  up  a  dressed  goose, 
with  red  holly  twined  about  it. 

Tom    detested    quick-lunch   places   where   the 


240    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

steam  satisfied  a  man's  hunger,  the  moment  he 
came  in  contact  with  its  heavy  odors,  but  he  rev* 
eled  in  this  evening's  opportunity  to  be  a  martyr, 
so  he  sat  down  and  ordered  corn-beef  and  cab- 
bage because  he  loathed  it. 

Although  he  could  not  eat  much  of  the  delect- 
able dish  he  had  ordered,  he  was  determined  to 
finish  his  day  accordingly.  So  he  ordered 
Neapolitan  ice-cream  and  coffee.  The  ice-cream 
was  served  with  the  tissue  paper  still  wrapped 
about  the  cake — to  prove  that  no  hands  had  been 
in  contact  with  the  dessert  before  serving  it.  But 
the  highly  colored  stripes  of  the  soapy  cream  that 
refused  to  melt,  even  when  he  dropped  a  spoonful 
into  his  oily  coffee,  cured  him  of  further  martyr- 
dom to  the  cause  of  love. 

He  hastily  got  up  from  the  table,  paid  his  ticket 
and  ran  out.  By  this  time,  he  felt  so  sick  and 
chilled  that  he  gloated  in  the  assurance  that  soon 
he  would  be  in  a  raging  fever.  He  pictured 
Polly's  regrets  when  she  should  return  home  at 
midnight  and  hear  that  he  had  been  taken  to  a 
hospital,  with  a  fatal  case  of  double  pneumonia. 
He  had  decided  on  having  it  double,  after  he  left 
the  restaurant,  as  that  would  kill  him  sooner.  In 
this  state  of  mind  he  had  to  dodge  a  taxi  and 
slipped  to  fall  into  a  mud  puddle. 


MUTUAL  CONSOLATION 

But  Tom  could  not  resist  the  desire  to  see  his 
mother  once  more,  before  he  died;  and  after 
fighting  off  this  inclination  for  another  hour,  or 
two,  he  was  feeling  so  perfectly  awful,  that  he 
knew  his  last  call  had  come  for  him. 

He  had  been  sneezing  every  few  minutes  for 
the  past  hour,  and  his  eyes  were  running  like  twin 
rivers.  His  nose  was  so  stuffy  that  he  could 
hardly  enunciate  the  words,  when  he  told  a 
cabby  to  "Ta-ge  me  to  sig  siggy-sig  West  End 
Avenoo." 

During  the  short  time  he  was  in  the  cab,  he 
could  not  breathe,  and  he  had  to  keep  his  mouth 
open  to  be  able  to  inhale  any  air  at  all.  He  paid 
off  the  taxi,  and  went  to  his  mother's  apartment. 
Before  he  could  change  his  mind  about  calling, 
he  had  pushed  the  bell-button. 

He  heard  someone  coming  down  the  hall,  and 
at  the  same  time  a  door  in  front  opened  and  the 
laughter  and  noise  of  many  merry  voices  reached 
him  as  he  stood  waiting  on  the  doormat. 

"Good  evening,  Mr.  Tom — a  merry  Christ- 
mas," said  the  maid,  smilingly. 

"Goo'  ebeneeg,  Kadrina,"  mumbled  Tom, 
scowling  as  he  looked  towards  the  front  room 
whence  came  the  merry-making. 

"Don'  dell  anyone  I'm  here,  but  dell  Modder 


242     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

I'm  sig  and  wand  do  see  her  ride  away,"  ex- 
plained Tom,  snuffingly. 

"You  got  a  bad  cold  in  your  nose,  ain't  chew?" 
said  Katrina,  sympathetically. 

"No!"  shouted  Tom,  furiously.  "I  god' da 
case  ob  double  pneumonia  !" 

Katrina  jumped  at  the  unexpected  shout,  and 
hurried  to  the  front  room  to  call  her  mistress. 
Instead  of  remembering  to  keep  Tom's  presence 
a  secret,  she  whispered  loud  enough  for  Polly  to 
hear: 

"Mr.  Tom  jus'  come  in  an'  his  nose  is  red  as  a 
beet.  His  eyes  is  runnin',  too,  an'  he  needs  a  at- 
mosizer  to  blow  in  his  head,  to  clear  out  the  snuf- 
fles so's  he  kin  open  his  lungs,  widdout  keepin' 
his  mouth  open  all  th'  time." 

Instead  of  fainting  with  horror  as  Tom  had 
pictured  she  might,  Polly  laughed  at  Katrina's 
description,  and  Mrs.  Latimer  smiled  and  turned 
to  her  guests  to  excuse  herself,  by  saying: 

"Tom  just  came  in,  poor  boy,  with  a  stuffy  cold 
in  his  head.  I'll  put  his  feet  in  mustard  and  see 
that  he  drinks  a  hot  glass  of  doctored  lemonade, 
then  I'll  be  back." 

So  Tom,  instead  of  bidding  his  mother  an  eter- 
nal farewell  and  dying  alone  and  abandoned,  as 
he  had  planned,  in  a  hospital  ward,  was  soon  made 


MUTUAL  CONSOLATION         243 

to  scald  his  feet  in  hot  mustard  water,  while  his 
mother's  flannel  kimono  replaced  his  bedraggled 
clothing,  and  a  heavy  blanket  was  wrapped  about 
him,  and  he  was  offered  a  nasty  drink  of  lemon- 
ade, but  what  else  was  in  it  other  than  lemon  only 
his  mother  knew! 

By  this  time  he  felt  so  wretched  that  he  cared 
nothing  for  solitaires  or  fiancees;  all  he  wanted 
was  to  get  one  good  long  breath  through  his  nose 
once  more  before  he  choked  to  death. 

His  mother  had  returned  to  the  merry-making 
in  the  parlors,  and  Tom  sat  huddled  in  his  unbe- 
coming bedding  in  his  mother's  dressing-room. 
Every  few  minutes  he  had  to  use  Katrina's  "at- 
mosizer"  for  his  nose,  or  gasp  for  breath. 

Just  as  the  perspiration  began  to  pour  out  of 
every  pore,  and  his  feet  felt  like  scalded  lobsters, 
and  the  vaseline  his  mother  had  smeared  in  his 
eyes  and  over  his  nose,  to  void  any  chaffing,  had 
been  trickled  all  over  his  face,  Polly  tiptoed  into 
the  room  that  opened  to  the  dressing-room  where 
he  sat. 

He  held  his  breath,  fearing  lest  she  hear  him 
gasp  and  find  him  in  this  awful  predicament.  He 
could  not  see  her  after  she  closed  the  hall-door, 
but  he  wondered  what  she  was  doing.  At  this 
moment,  a  tickling  in  his  nose  began  and  he  knew 


244    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

it  portended  a  sneeze !  He  must  prevent  it,  or 
Polly  would  track  him  down.  If  she  ever  saw 
him  in  this  condition,  after  all  his  hard  study  to 
propose  gracefully,  he  would  take  poison! 

But  the  sneeze  was  imperative,  and  it  burst 
forth  in  such  an  explosion,  that  Polly  screamed 
faintly  from  just  behind  the  door  of  the  little 
room. 

"Go'way!  I  won'd  see  anyone,"  commanded 
Tom. 

"But  you'll  let  me  come  and  see  how  you  are, 
won't  you,  Tom  dear?"  coaxed  Polly,  appearing 
at  the  open  door. 

"No!  You  above  everyone.  I'm  goin'  to  a 
hozpidal  as  zoon  ads  the  ambulance  gomes,  and 
I  never  wand  to  zee  any  ob  my  frien'z  again.  I'll 
leave  word  no  one  ids  to  gome  to  my  funeral, 
eider." 

"Tom,  dearest,  don't  talk  like  that!  Where 
have  you  been  today,  to  catch  such  an  awful  cold 
in  your  head?"  said  Polly. 

"Id'z  my  lungz,  I  dell  you!  Double  pneu- 
monia. Leabe  me  to  my  fade,  and  forged  me, 
Polly!"  tears  rose  in  his  eyes  at  this  pitiful  pic- 
ture of  his  lonely  demise. 

But  Polly  was  practical,  and  stubborn  to  a  de- 
gree. She  refused  to  go,  and  when  Mrs.  Latimer 


MUTUAL  CONSOLATION        245 

came  back,  she  told  her  that  Tom  ought  to  be  in 
bed  and  given  a  great  big  dose  of  quinine — then 
he'd  be  all  right  in  the  morning. 

"That's  exactly  what  we  planned  to  do,  Polly," 
said  Mrs.  Latimer.  "I  sent  Katrina  to  the  drug- 
store for  the  pills,  just  now.  But  you  run  back 
and  enjoy  yourself,  dear,  as  you  can  do  nothing 
for  Torn.  He's  like  all  men — as  grouchy  as  a 
bear  with  a  sore  head,  the  minute  anything  ails 
them." 

His  mother  laughed,  and  Polly  stood  smiling. 
Tom  fumed.  "Was  this  all  the  sympathy  he  was 
to  win  for  his  self-appointed  martyrdom?" 

Just  as  he  had  lost  the  last  vestige  of  hope  in 
life,  Polly  said  to  his  mother:  "I  haven't  seen 
Tom  before,  today,  to  wish  him  a  merry  Christ- 
mas and  to  give  him  my  present." 

"Oh!"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Latimer,  wisely,  and 
slipped  from  the  room,  closing  the  hall  door  very 
quietly  after  her. 

Tom  opened  one  eye  and  began  to  wonder  if  it 
was  worth  while — this  living  business?  When 
Polly  smiled  so  angelically  upon  him,  in  spite  of 
his  ludicrous  pose  and  appearance,  he  thought  he 
might  make  one  more  trial  of  temporal  existence. 

Then  Polly  said,  "I  am  sorry  I  could  not  reach 
you  by  telephone  today,  Tom.  I  had  a  little  sur- 


246    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

prise  for  you,  that  I'm  sure  you  will  like.  Shall 
I  show  you  now?" 

"Maybe  it  ids  egsadtly  wha'd  I  wads  plannig  to 
ags  you  ?"  said  Tom,  sitting  up  with  interest,  and 
forgetting  the  tub  of  hot  water  with  his  feet 
slowly  par-boiling  in  it. 

"Here  it  is.  Isn't  it  neat  and  business-like?" 
said  Polly,  as  she  handed  him  a  small  paste-board 
card. 

Tom  read: 

"POLLY  BREWSTER 
DECORATOR 

NEW  YORK  CITY 
Representing  Ashby  Shops,  New  York  and  London." 

Tom's  shocked  surprise  at  the  unexpected  an- 
nouncement, so  different  from  what  he  had  ex- 
pected, rendered  him  speechless  for  a  full  minute. 
During  this  pause,  Polly  patted  his  damp  hair  just 
as  she  might  have  patted  her  brother  John's  head, 
or  a  faithful  Newfoundland's  shaggy  dome. 
This  latter  was  Tom's  thought. 

The  gentle  touch,  combined  with  his  resentful 
feelings  about  the  business  announcement,  made 
him  lose  all  self-control.  He  was  so  furious  that 
he  could  not  find  his  voice,  and  if  he  had,  his 
words  would  have  been  unintelligible  because  of 


MUTUAL  CONSOLATION         247 

the  head-cold.  He  sprang  up  from  the  chair, 
forgetful  of  his  blanket  swaddlings,  and  the  large 
basin  in  which  his  feet  were  still  immersed. 

He  lifted  his  hand  above  his  head  in  a  melo- 
dramatic way  of  denunciation,  but  the  tragic  ef- 
fect was  completely  ruined  when  the  porcelain 
basin  began  slipping  across  the  hard-wood  floor. 
He  wildly  threw  out  both  hands  to  clutch  at  some- 
thing for  support,  but  the  low  chair  he  had  oc- 
cupied was  not  near  the  dressing  table  nor  any 
other  article  of  furniture  in  the  room. 

Polly  tried  to  save  him  from  a  fall,  but  he 
threw  off  her  rescuing  hands ;  and  thus  he  was  fall- 
ing to  his  ungraceful  finish,  when  he  managed  to 
free  one  foot  and  planted  it  on  the  rug  as  a  bal- 
ance. But  the  basin  with  its  wet  porcelain  bot- 
tom kept  sliding  ever  farther  away,  and  Tom 
still  rolled  in  the  swaddling  robes  suddenly  sat 
down  unceremoniously  upon  the  floor. 

Polly  faintly  screamed  when  the  basin  over- 
turned and  the  mustard  water  ran  in  numerous 
streamlets  across  the  waxed  wood  and  center  rug. 
Just  at  this  critical  moment,  Mrs.  Latimer  came 
back  to  give  her  son  the  dose  of  quinine. 

"Why,  Tom!  Why  are  you  sitting  on  the 
floor?"  asked  she,  in  amazement. 

That  was  the  last  straw.     Polly  had  to  smother 


248     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

a  laugh  but  Tom  flared  out  and  the  thick  denun- 
ciations of  all  the  female  sex,  particularly  western 
girls,  would  have  driven  such  a  girl  mad  with 
anger.  But  Polly  understood  her  friend  too  well 
to  believe  a  word  he  said. 

Even  while  he  still  hurled  every  expletive  he 
could  remember  and  try  to  enunciate,  Polly  sprang 
over  to  help  Mrs.  Latimer  raise  the  beswaddled 
young  man  back  into  the  chair.  He  fought  off 
her  assistance,  but  she  stubbornly  held  on  to  his 
arms  until  he  was  seated  in  a  proper  position  once 
more. 

Then  she  said:  "Tom  dear,  I'm  so  sorry  you 
have  had  such  a  wretched  Christmas  Day.  Had 
we  but  known  you  had  such  a  cold  we  would  have 
called  and  taken  you  home  with  us.  But  now  that 
Christmas  is  over,  and  I  haven't  had  time  to  say 
a  word  to  you,  I'll  just  whisper  that,  as  a  sort  of 
late  greeting:  'If  I  don't  find  anyone  I  like  bet- 
ter than  you,  during  the  next  two  years,  I'll  make 
a  partnership  proposition  to  you.'  ' 

"Oh,  Bolly!  Whad  do  you  mean?"  gasped 
Tom,  expectation  high  once  more. 

"I  like  you  better  than  any  other  friend  I  ever 
had,  Tom,  but  I  am  determined  to  try  business 
first.  Then,  in  two  years'  time  if  you  are  still  of 
the  same  mind  as  now,  I  will  consider  what  you 


MUTUAL  CONSOLATION         249 

have  so  often  planned.  But  not  before  then. 
Until  that  time  we  will  be  the  best  of  good  pals.1' 
"Oh,  Bolly!  Whad  a  Gridsmad's  gifd  you 
habe  giben  me!"  exclaimed  Tom,  his  face  shining 
radiantly  with  love  and  vaseline. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS 

IT  was  very  late  when  the  Fabian  party  reached 
home  that  Christmas  night;  thus  there  were  no 
confidences  given  or  taken  between  the  girls  until 
the  following  morning.  To  Eleanor's  keen  sight 
Polly  appeared  ill  at  ease;  and  in  the  morning, 
after  breakfast,  the  cloud  seemed  heavier  than 
before.  Then  Eleanor  decided  to  find  out  what 
unpleasant  experience  had  occurred  while  at  Lati* 
mers. 

"I  had  a  glorious  time,  last  night — didn't  you, 
Poll?"  began  Eleanor,  guilelessly. 

"Oh,  yes!  Until  poor  Tom  came  in  with  that 
nasty  cold  in  his  head.  His  condition  was  enough 
to  ruin  any  one's  enjoyment,  once  you  saw  or 
heard  him,"  replied  Polly,  absentmindedly. 

"A  mere  cold  in  the  head  is  nothing  to  worry 
about.  He  will  probably  be  here,  today,  as  fresh 
as  ever.  That  is,  if  the  quinine  he  took  last  night, 
permits  him  to  see  straight."  Eleanor  laughed  in 

250 


BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS  251 

order  to  show  her  friend  how  unconcerned  she  was 
about  anything  which  might  have  happened  at  the 
Larimers. 

"Had  you  seen  him,  with  his  feet  in  boiling 
water  and  mustard,  his  face  coated  with  vaseline, 
his  eyes  like  Bear  Forks,  and  his  temper  like  a 
sore  hyena's,  you  wouldn't  sit  there  and  say  he'd 
be  fresh  as  ever  today,"  Polly  retorted  with  a 
reminiscent  smile. 

"It's  a  wonder  to  me  that  he  permitted  you  to 
visit  him  after  he  had  been  doctored  by  his  mother 
as  you  say  he  was,"  returned  Eleanor,  musingly. 

"He  never  would  have,  Nolla,  had  I  not 
marched  right  into  the  room  without  his  being 
aware  of  my  presence.  I  never  even  knocked, 
because  his  mother  told  me  he  was  in  her  dressing- 
room,  off  the  large  room.  I  waited  in  the  large 
room  until  I  heard  him  speak,  then  I  pretended  to 
be  surprised  and  pleased  to  find  him  there." 

Eleanor  laughed.  "Yes,  I  can  see  you  pretend 
anything,  Poll.  I  just  know  your  face  was  as 
serious  as  crepe,  and  your  pretence  a  thing  any 
child  could  see  through." 

"Now,  Nolla,  you  are  all  wrong!  I  can  prove 
it.  But  the  great  trouble  is,  how  shall  I  get  out  of 
what  Tom  believes  to  be  true?  I  pretended  so 
well  that  I  almost  fooled  myself  into  believing  that 


252     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

I  was  doing  right.    This  morning  I  know  it  is  not 
true,"  said  Polly,  impatiently. 

Eleanor  now  felt  her  curiosity  rising  for  she 
realized  she  was  on  the  verge  of  hearing  what  had 
caused  Polly's  concern.  But  she  knew  she  must 
be  circumspect  in  her  replies,  or  her  friend  would 
take  alarm  and  not  say  a  word. 

"Polly,  there  speaks  the  born  actress.  When  on 
the  stage,  acting  in  a  play,  the  artiste  is  carried 
away  by  her  own  depth  of  feeling  and  faith  in  the 
truth  of  what  she  is  saying  or  doing.  Now,  you 
see,  you  did  the  same  and  that  proves  you  should 
study  stage-craft  instead  of  interior  decorating." 
Eleanor  spoke  in  a  jocular  tone. 

Polly  smiled  at  her  friend,  but  she  was  too 
preoccupied  with  her  problem  to  pay  attention  to 
Eleanor — whether  she  was  in  earnest  or  whether 
she  was  speaking  in  fun. 

Suddenly  Polly  asked:  "Nolla,  are  you  en- 
gaged to  Paul?" 

Eleanor  was  taken  off  her  feet.  She  never 
dreamed  of  having  Polly  ask  her  bluntly  about 
her  private  interests  in  any  one. 

"W-h-y,  n-o-o — not  ex-actly!"  stammered  she 
in  reply. 

Polly  sat  and  stared  at  her  companion  as  if  to 
search  out  the  truth.  Then  she  said:  "Have  you 


BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS  253* 

any  idea  of  being  engaged  within  the  next  year  or 
two?" 

"Well,  now,  Poll,"  returned  Eleanor,  finding 
her  depth  once  more,  and  treading  water  to  get 
her  breath,  "you  know  how  I  admire  Paul,  and 
you  also  know  that  Paul  says  he  loves  me.  That 
was  most  obvious  at  Dalky's  party,  the  night  Paul 
arrived  so  unexpectedly.  But  when  you  speak  of 
engagements,  I  must  remind  you  of  the  law  you 
laid  down  for  me — not  to  tie  myself  to  any  such 
entanglement  until  after  we  had  had  our  fill  of 
business.  Am  I  right?" 

"Exactly!"  sighed  Polly.  "But  that  does  not 
go  to  say  that  you  obeyed  my  law.  There  may  be 
a  secret  understanding  between  you  and  Paul,  and 
that  is  what  I  want  to  hear  about." 

"It  may  be  the  same  sort  of  a  secret  understand- 
ing as  now  exists  between  you  and  Tom  Latimer," 
retorted  Eleanor,  taking  a  wild  chance  that  such 
was  the  fact. 

"Then  I  pity  poor  Paul  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart,"  was  Polly's  unexpected  reply. 

"Paul  doesn't  seem  to  think  he  is  in  need  of 
any  pity,"  smiled  Eleanor,  as  she  thought  of  his 
joy  the  preceding  evening  as  he  escorted  her  from 
the  Larimer's  apartment  to  the  automobile. 

"Well,  then  it  is  not  the  same  sort  of  secret 


254    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

understanding.  Now  come  out  with  it,  Nolla,  and 
tell  me  just  how  far  you  have  complicated  your- 
self with  Paul  in  love,  and  with  me  in  our  business 
venture?" 

"Not  at  all,  Poll.  That  is  what  I  wish  to  im- 
press upon  you — that  I  am  no  deeper  in  the  love 
tangle,  than  you  are  with  Tom." 

"All  right,  then,  Nolla.  Now  I'll  confess,  if 
you  promise  me  to  do  likewise.  Is  it  a  bargain?" 

"If  you  wish.  But  let  me  say  beforehand,  I 
have  no  more  to  confess  than  you  know  of  al- 
ready." 

"It's  a  pact  I  Shake,  Nolla,"  exclaimed  Polly, 
holding  out  her  hand. 

Of  course  Eleanor  was  more  than  amazed  at 
such  a  to-do  over  what  she  considered  a  natural 
outcome  of  human  attraction  for  Polly,  and  she 
shook  the  hand  extended  to  seal  the  compact. 

"There  now!  I'll  confess  first.  Last  night, 
when  I  found  poor  Tom  in  such  dire  condition  and 
wanting  to  die  at  once,  I  told  his  mother  I  would 
comfort  him,  somewhat,  by  wishing  him  a  merry 
Christmas  and  showing  him  my  business  card. 
You  know,  the  ones  we  just  got  back  from  the 
engravers  late  Christmas  Eve. 

"Well,  I  found  him  in  such  a  pitiable  way  that 
I  was  sorry  the  moment  I  handed  him  my  card. 


BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS  255 

He  took  it  so  differently  from  what  I  had  ex- 
pected. When  he  raved  about  dying  and  nothing 
to  live  for,  I  was  at  my  wit's  end.  Finally,  just 
after  the  basin  in  which  he  was  boiling  his  feet 
slipped  from  under  him,  and  sat  him  down  un- 
kindly upon  the  floor,  I  was  moved  to  encourage 
him  if  he  would  but  cheer  up  and  think  of  living 
a  little  longer. 

"Nolla,  he  took  advantage  of  my  weakness  and 
wormed  a  promise  from  me  to  consider  myself 
engaged  to  him,  unless  I  found  some  one  I  liked 
much  better  within  the  next  two  years.  Now  tell 
me,  Nolla,  because  you  are  educated  in  affairs  like 
this — where  do  I  stand?" 

Polly's  anxiety  was  so  amusing  to  Eleanor  and 
the  whole  situation  so  like  a  farce  to  her  maturer 
love-affair,  that  she  laughed  merrily.  But  Polly 
was  too  concerned  to  take  offence  at  the  merri- 
ment. 

"Oh,  Polly!  What  a  little  lamb  you  are,  to  be 
surel  How  lucky  for  you  that  I  am  always  at 
hand  to  keep  you  from  being  led  to  the  slaughter 
— not  altar!"  Eleanor  laughed  again  at  her 
clever  play  on  the  hackneyed  phrase. 

"That  doesn't  answer  my  question,  Nolla.  ^  I 
am  most  serious  in  this  matter  and  I  do  not  wish 
to  hear  more  ridicule  from  you." 


256    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"I'm  not  ridiculing  you  or  the  awful  mess  you 
have  made  of  your  life,"  retorted  Eleanor  with 
a  sly  grin,  "but  I  cannot  help  giving  vent  to  my 
risibles  when  you  take  it  all  so,  seriously.  I  won- 
der how  you  would  take  the  measjes,  Poll." 

"Oh  pshaw,  Nolla !  What  has  measles  to  do 
with  me,  right  now!"  was  Polly's  impatient  re- 
joinder. 

"I  don't  know,  I'm  sure.  I  was  only  wondering 
why  you  take  everything  so  dreadfully  in  earnest. 
Now  as  far  as  your  love  tangle  appears  to  be, 
I  should  prognosticate — hear  that  word,  Polly? 
I  am  trying  to  act  the  wise  magistrate  for  you — 
that  there  will  be  no  suit  for  breach  of  promise, 
although  there  may  be  a  case  made  out  against 
you  for  alienating  Tom's  affections  from  Choko's 
Find  Mine.  On  the  other  hand,  you  can  serve 
a  counter  suit  on  Tom  for  alienating  your  af- 
fections from  your  first  love — your  business  ven- 
ture." 

While  Eleanor  had  been  explaining  the  law  to 
her  friend,  the  latter  grew  more  and  more  im- 
patient, and  when  the  self-appointed  magistrate 
concluded  her  version  of  law,  Polly  sprang  up 
angrily. 

"I  declare,  Nolla,  you  will  never  be  serious  even 


BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS  257 

at  death !  I'm  disgusted  with  you,  so  there !"  and 
Polly  made  for  the  door. 

Eleanor  made  after  her,  saying  as  she  ran :  "I'm 
sure  I'll  never  want  to  take  death  seriously,  Polly, 
for  that  is  the  time  of  all  times  when  we  need  to  be 
cheerful  and  prove  to  our  dear  ones  that  they  have 
nothing  to  weep  over — because  I  am  of  the  firm 
belief  that  no  one  goes  into  oblivion.  It  is  simply 
progression,  you  know." 

The  sudden  change  from  laughter  to  serious- 
ness halted  Polly's  exit  at  the  door,  and  she  turned 
to  look  at  her  friend  with  a  strange  expression  in 
her  eyes. 

"Nolla,  you  should  have  been  born  in  April — 
with  the  most  changeable  weather  of  the  year. 
One  moment  you  are  too  silly  for  words  and  the 
next  you  discourse  on  the  most  serious  of  all  sub- 
jects." 

Again  Eleanor  laughed,  teasingly:  "Perhaps  I 
should  not  have  been  born  at  all.  Then  my 
family  and  friends  would  have  been  saved  many 
trials.  But  I  am  here,  you  see,  and  they  have  to 
make  the  best  of  me." 

"That  is  exactly  what  we  want  to  accomplish, 
don't  you  see  ?  We  want  to  make  the  best  of  youv 
but  you  just  won't  let  us  do  it.  You  prefer  to  act 


258     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

like  a  big  ninny  instead  of  the  cleverest  girl  in  the 
world." 

"Always  excepting  you,  dear!"  and  Eleanor 
bowed  low. 

"There  you  go  again!  Now  I  am  mad!"  and 
Polly  tried  to  get  through  the  open  doorway,  but 
her  friend  clung  to  her  arm  and  refused  to  let  her 

go- 

"Wait  a  moment!  I'll  let  you  go  as  soon  as  I 
have  a  word  with  you.  This  is  going  to  be  a  real 
serious  word,  too,"  promised  Eleanor. 

Polly  turned  back.  Eleanor  stood  pondering 
for  a  moment,  then  said,  "About  Tom's  affair,  I 
would  advise  this :  treat  him  brotherly — that  is  be 
sisterly  to  him;  if  you  are  not  madly  in  love  with 
him,  so  madly  that  you  will  jump  into  the  Hudson 
or  throw  yourself  upon  the  subway  track  unless 
you  know  he  loves  you  the  same  way,  then  let 
Cupid  manage  the  whole  affair.  Believe  me, 
child,  Cupid  can  do  it  far  better  than  you  or  I ! 

"Concerning  Paul  and  myself:  I  told  the  darl- 
ing that  I  had  a  contract  with  you  which  had  to  be 
fulfilled  before  I  could  sign  up  with  another  one — 
even  though  that  other  one  seemed  to  be  offering 
me  easier  work  and  better  wages.  So  I'm  in  for 
the  business  venture  for  all  it  is  worth  for  the  next 
two,  perhaps  more,  years.  I  refused  to  place  any 


BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS  259 

time  limit  on  a  promise  to  sign  up  with  Paul. 
Satisfied?" 

"Most  assuredly!  That  is  the  first  practical 
speech  I've  ever  heard  you  make,  Nolla!"  was 
Polly's  emphatic  reply. 

"I  trust  you  have  sense  enough  to  make  the 
same  speech  to  Tom  Latimer.  Then  he  will  fol- 
low Paul's  example :  be  filled  with  ambition  to  go 
back  to  Pebbly  Pit  and  straighten  out  that  caved- 
in  mine." 

But  both  the  girls  were  to  learn  that  it  is  much 
easier  to  talk  how  events  should  follow  in  se- 
quence, than  it  is  to  compel  fate  to  do  as  she  is  ex- 
pected to  with  such  events. 

That  evening,  despite  his  parents'  advice  to  re- 
main in  bed,  Tom  drove  up  in  a  taxi  and  stopped 
before  the  Fabians'  house.  He  paid  the  driver, 
rushed  up  the  steps  and  pulled  at  the  door- 
bell. 

Polly  had  just  finished  dinner  and  was  slowly 
walking  out  of  the  dining-room  when  the  maid 
opened  the  door.  Tom  fairly  leaped  in  when  he 
saw  Polly  stopping  suddenly  under  the  hall-light. 

"Oh,  my  little — "  he  began,  but  Polly  held  up  a 
warning  hand  and  frowned  him  to  silence ;  then  she 
hurried  him  to  the  library  across  the  hall  from  the 
dining-room. 


26o    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"What's  the  matter?  Didn't  you  tell  them  we 
were  engaged?"  asked  Tom,  impetuously. 

"I  didn't  know  we  were  what  one  calls  engaged, 
Tom.  You  are  misunderstanding  me.  Of  course, 
I  did  not  tell  them  about  what  never  happened." 
Polly  was  annoyed. 

"But,"  began  Tom,  arguing  for  himself,  "I  felt 
sure  you  meant  it  the  way  I  said:  that  you  would 
wear  my  ring  and  consider  I  had  a  prior  right  to 
your  love  or  affections." 

"You're  all  wrong!  Because  that  is  exactly 
what  I  wish  to  retain  for  myself — prior  right  to 
follow  my  own  life-line.  I  did  say  that  I  liked 
you  more  than  any  other  friend  I  know,  and  that 
I  might  consider  you  as  my  future  fiance  if,  in  two 
years'  time,  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  would 
give  up  a  business  career.  That's  all;  and  that 
holds  no  ground  for  your  giving  me  an  engage- 
ment ring,  nor  for  me  to  take  one  and  wear  it.  I 
simply  refuse  to  be  bound  in  any  way.  Better 
understand  this,  once  for  all,  Tom!" 

The  other  members  of  the  family  now  came  in 
and  welcomed  Tom  and  also  insisted  upon  having 
him  tell  them  how  much  better  he  felt.  The  ring- 
box  which  Tom  had  so  eagerly  pulled  from  his  vest 
pocket  as  he  sat  upon  the  divan  with  Polly,  he  now 
managed  to  slip  back  again  without  having  been 


BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS  261 

discovered  in  the  act.  Even  Eleanor  failed  to 
see  the  action. 

Before  Tom  had  had  time  to  conclude  his  polite 
answers  as  to  the  state  of  his  health,  the  bell  rang 
a  second  time  and  the  maid  admitted  Paul  Stewart. 
Nor  did  the  evening  advance  far  before  Jim  and 
Ken  dropped  in,  then  came  Dodo  and  Mr.  Dalken, 
and  last  but  not  least  the  Ashbys  stopped  in  to  in- 
quire how  everyone  was.  Such  "stoppings" 
usually  ended,  as  on  this  evening,  by  their  remain- 
ing until  midnight. 

Mr.  Ashby  had  news  for  his  two  new  assistants 
in  business.  "Late  in  the  afternoon  before 
Christmas,  I  had  a  'phone  call  from  Mrs.  Court- 
ney, girls.  She  asked  me  to  make  an  appointment 
with  you  to  meet  her  at  my  Shop,  tomorrow  morn- 
ing at  eleven.  I  promised  to  let  you  know." 

"Oh,  that's  the  lady  we  met  at  the  Parsippany 
sale,"  exclaimed  Eleanor.  "I  wondered  what  had 
become  of  her  since  then." 

"Maybe  she  wants  us  to  find  her  a  few  an- 
tiques," suggested  Polly,  eagerly. 

"I  believe  she  plans  to  redecorate  her  boudoir, 
and  wants  you  two  beginners  to  take  the  commis- 
sion. She  seems  to  place  a  great  deal  of  confi- 
dence in  your  ability  to  please  her,"  said  Mr. 
Ashby. 


262     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

Eleanor  smiled  at  her  superior  in  business. 
"Feeling  any  jealousy  at  our  popularity?" 

"Not  a  whit  I"  laughed  Mr.  Ashby.  "It  only 
adds  more  glory  to  my  brilliant  fame,  because  I 
was  astute  enough  to  secure  such  talent!" 

Mrs.  Courtney's  appointment  to  meet  the  two 
young  decorators  in  a  business  conference  came 
at  just  the  time  when  both  Eleanor  and  Polly  were 
half-persuaded  to  give  up  their  art  and  turn  aside 
to  marriage,  although  neither  girl  really  wanted 
to  take  the  husband  instead  of  the  career,  at  that 
time.  When  Paul  and  Tom  would  be  out  of  sight 
once  more,  and  their  magnetic  presences  removed 
so  that  calm  business  atmosphere  might  control 
again,  both  girls  would  see  they  had  been  wise  in 
deferring  their  engagements  for  the  present. 
Hence  the  visit  of  Mrs.  Courtney  came  at  just  the 
critical  time. 

Polly  and  Eleanor  were  at  the  Ashby  Shops  a 
full  hour  before  the  lady  could  be  expected.  But 
they  put  in  the  hour  in  going  over  the  latest 
samples  of  boudoir  textiles,  new  ideas  in  furniture, 
and  fascinating  designs  of  cushions,  draperies  and 
other  accessories  for  a  boudoir. 

Mrs.  Courtney  was  very  frank  and  pleasant 
in  her  cordial  greeting.  For  all  her  fame  as  a 


BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS  263 

social  leader  in  New  York  and  the  fabulous  wealth 
accredited  to  her,  she  seemed  very  plain  and 
friendly.  Eleanor  could  not  help  contrasting  her 
with  her  mother  and  Barbara. 

"Well,  girls,  how  many  millions  of  dollars 
have  you  made  in  your  profession  since  I  saw  you 
at  that  farce  of  a  sale  in  New  Jersey,"  said  she 
smilingly  after  they  had  seated  themselves  in  the 
small  reception  room. 

"That  was  too  bad,  wasn't  it?"  said  Eleanor. 
"We  mean,  it  was  too  bad  for  that  nice  old 
auctioneer  to  be  used  by  the  city  man  as  he  cer- 
tainly was.  We  met  old  Mr.  Van  Styne  before 
that  sale,  you  know,  and  he  was  so  honest !"  said 
Polly. 

"So  I  learned.  But  I  was  annoyed  at  the  city 
man's  methods  of  getting  his  regular  customers  so 
far  from  the  city  in  order  to  make  money  out  of 
them ;  I  went  down  to  his  office  and  told  him  very 
plainly  what  I  thought  of  such  trickery  as  he  had 
played  on  me.  He  apologised  in  every  way  when 
he  learned  that  I  would  never  buy  another  thing  of 
him;  but  I  knew  his  apologies  were  the  result  of 
his  fear  of  losing  a  good  customer.  I  told  him 
frankly  that  I  would  not  accept  his  regrets.  I  have 
heard  from  him  several  times  since  then,  but  I 


264    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

have  paid  no  attention  to  his  requests  to  allow  him 
to  explain  the  circumstance  which  ended  in  that 
sale  in  the  country. 

"I  did  take  time  to  write  to  this  Mr.  Van  Styne, 
however,  and  ask  for  the  truth,  as  I  did  not  want 
to  condemn  the  city  man  if  there  might  be  extenuat- 
ing reasons  for  the  sale.  The  old  man  in  Morris- 
town  answered  that  he  had  been  used  as  an  instru- 
ment in  the  padded  sale.  He  had  known  nothing 
of  the  manner  in  which  the  antiques  had  been 
brought  from  the  City  and  placed  in  the  house, 
until  afterward.  He  had  sent  letters  to  his 
clientele  who  favored  him  with  confidence,  and 
many  were  at  that  sale,  much  to  his  discomfiture 
when  he  learned  the  truth. 

"Mr.  Van  Styne  added  that  he  had  taken  the 
trouble  to  find  out  from  a  few  of  his  trusting 
customers  that  the  articles  they  had  purchased  at 
that  sale,  and  which  were  claimed  in  the  cata- 
logues, to  be  genuine  antiques,  were  clever  imita- 
tions. In  fact,  a  refectory  table  said  to  be  of 
genuine  Jacobean  period,  was  manufactured  in  the 
man's  factory  on  the  East  Side.  Even  the  worm- 
holes  had  been  drilled  in  the  wood  and  the  worn 
slab  of  wood  of  the  top  was  done  by  the  plane. 
To  keep  himself  out  of  Court,  the  clever  fellow 
had  to  give  back  the  buyer's  money  and  send  up  to 


BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS  265 

Morristown  and  get  the  articles  of  'newly-made 
antique'  furniture." 

"I'm  glad  of  that!"  exclaimed  Polly. 

"But  those  buyers  should  have  prosecuted  the 
cheat!"  declared  Eleanor,  impatiently. 

"That's  exactly  what  I  said,  but  one  of  them 
wrote  me  she  was  going  away  for  the  winter;  she 
could  not  postpone  her  trip  to  try  the  case  at 
Court.  Thus  she  took  the  easiest  way  out." 
Mrs.  Courtney's  determined  expression  showed 
what  she  would  have  done  had  she  been  the  dupe 
of  such  a  clever  dealer. 

The  subject  was  abruptly  changed  when  Mrs. 
Courtney  added:  "Now  we  must  talk  business, 
young  ladies.  I  am  sure  you  cannot  spare  your 
valuable  time  in  gossip." 

Polly  and  Eleanor  glanced  at  each  other  and 
smiled  at  the  idea  of  their  "valuable  time,"  but 
Mrs.  Courtney  launched  at  once  into  the  cause  of 
her  call  that  morning. 

"I  never  felt  at  peace  with  the  atrocious  dec- 
orations in  my  boudoir,  although  one  of  the  high- 
est-priced firms  in  New  York  did  the  room  for  me. 
I  know  it  was  a  case  of  making  me  take  the  cost- 
liest materials  without  regard  to  harmony  or  tem- 
perament. Now  I  wish  to  have  you  girls  see  what 
you  would  do  with  the  suite.  While  I  am  here, 


266     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

I  thought  you  might  show  me  several  suites  ex- 
hibited on  the  floor  and  tell  me  which  you  would 
prefer  for  a  woman  of  my  age." 

Polly  immediately  signified  that  she  was  ready 
to  escort  Mrs.  Courtney  to  the  elevator,  thence  to 
the  exhibition  rooms  where  every  conceivable 
period  and  price  of  boudoir  furnishings  were  to  be 
seen  and  examined. 

The  three  stepped  from  the  elevator,  and  Polly 
was  leading  the  way  to  the  boudoir  suites;  Mrs. 
Courtney  watched  with  deep  interest  as  she  spoke 
in  a  low  voice,  to  Eleanor. 

"Jack  Baxter  called  on  me,  one  evening  before 
he  went  West;  he  told  me  that  your  remarkable 
young  friend  had  everything  in  life  to  make  a 
young  girl  want  to  have  a  good  time,  yet  she 
chose  a  profession  for  herself  in  place  of  gayety 
and  beaux." 

Eleanor  smiled  and  nodded  affirmatively  but 
said  nothing. 

"That  is  one  of  the  reasons  I  wanted  to  meet 
you  young  ladies  again.  It  is  so  gratifying  to 
find  any  young  girl,  these  days,  who  takes  life  in 
earnest.  Of  all  the  flippant,  mothlike  creatures  I 
find  flapping  about  at  receptions  or  teas,  I  have 
yet  to  find  one  in  every  thousand  who  really  thinks 
of  anything  other  than  cigarettes,  matinees,  and 


BEAUX  OR  BUSINESS  267 

dress.  It  is  positively  revolting  to  me  to  have  my 
rooms  clouded  with  cigarette  smoke,  yet  what  can 
a  hostess  do?  The  women  have  gone  mad  over 
the  habit.  The  danger  lies  in  their  not  being  able 
to  break  the  influence  as  readily  as  they  form 
it." 

Polly  overheard  the  latter  part  of  this  speech 
and  smiled  admiringly  at  her  client.  Then  they 
came  to  the  boudoir  exhibit. 

A  very  pleasant  hour  passed  while  Polly  and 
Eleanor  told  Mrs.  Courtney  of  their  visits  to 
galleries  in  Europe,  and  in  hearing  Mrs.  Courtney 
speak  of  her  amusing  excursions  in  quest  of  the  an- 
tique. Finally  the  lady  remembered  an  appoint- 
ment, and  in  amazement  found  her  wrist-watch 
told  her  it  was  twelve. 

"Oh,  oh!  I  had  an  imperative  engagement  at 
the  dentist's  at  twelve-fifteen.  How  could  this 
hour  have  passed  so  rapidly?"  said  she,  hurrying 
to  the  elevator  in  advance  of  the  girls. 

While  waiting  for  the  man  to  come  for  them, 
the  two  young  salesladies  wondered  if  their  cus- 
tomer would  leave  without  an  order,  or  word  of 
encouragement  regarding  the  future  of  her  bou- 
doir. 

On  the  elevator  going  down,  Mrs.  Courtney 
said :  "When  you  have  time  to  come  to  my  address 


268     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

and  look  at  the  suite,  just  let  me  know  by  telephone 
and  I  will  make  it  a  point  to  be  at  home  to  meet 
you,  to  go  into  the  work  in  earnest.  I  am  con- 
fident you  can  give  the  right  atmosphere  to  my 
boudoir."  Just  as  the  elevator  reached  the 
ground  floor,  Mrs.  Courtney  handed  Polly  and 
Eleanor  each  a  card  upon  which  she  wrote  her 
private  telephone  number. 

"Now,  good-morning,  my  friends.  Remember 
what  I  said  to  you  about  having  chosen  the  right 
pathway,  for  the  present.  You  will  make  all  the 
better  wives  and  mothers  for  having  had  a  genuine 
business  experience.  How  superior  is  your  ideal 
to  those  of  empty-headed  society  misses  who  live 
but  to  dance  or  drink  or  waste  their  true  sub- 
stance." 

With  such  praise  of  their  endeavors,  the  lady 
left  Polly  and  Eleanor;  and  they  stood  where  she 
left  them,  holding  her  cards  in  their  hands,  but  still 
gazing  at  the  revolving  doors  through  which  she 
had  passed  and  then  disappeared. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

BUSINESS 

RUTH  and  Dodo  had  been  sadly  neglected  dur- 
ing the  Christmas  Season,  but  after  Paul  returned 
to  Denver  and  Tom  accepted  his  verdict  that  Polly 
would  give  no  valuable  thought  to  lovers  for  the 
next  two  years,  the  two  young  decorators  took 
time  to  encourage  their  younger  partners  in  the 
work  they  had  chosen. 

Ruth  and  Dodo  were  not  as  deeply  in  earnest 
as  Polly  and  Eleanor  had  been  in  applying  them- 
selves to- the  studies  given  at  Cooper  Union;  they 
considered  themselves  martyrs  to  the  cause  of 
womanly  work.  Mr.  Fabian  often  sighed  in  des- 
pair over  Dodo's  ideals  in  ancient  architecture,  or 
Ruth's  recitations  of  applied  designs.  Polly  and 
Eleanor  laughed  at  these  trials  of  teacher  and 
student  and  kept  urging  both  sides  not  to  lose  faith 
but  to  keep  on  until  they  won  the  prize. 

Meanwhile,  the  two  advanced  students  visited 
every  exhibit  or  lecture  given  on  their  beloved 

269 


270    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

work,  and  thus  acquired  more  of  the  idealistic  ex- 
periences in  art.  For  business  application  of  their 
understanding  of  decorating,  Mrs.  Courtney  sup- 
plied one  channel  of  such  testing;  and  Mr.  Dalken 
offered  another  outlet  for  their  wisdom,  for  he 
had  decided  to  erect  a  magnificent  office  building 
on  upper  Fifth  Avenue,  and  keep  the  entire  top 
floor  as  a  private  apartment  for  himself. 

The  girls  had  many  interesting  mornings  in 
Mrs.  Courtney's  home,  listening  to  her  accounts 
of  trips  to  every  country  in  quest  of  curios  and 
antiques.  Her  residence  was  filled  with  the  re- 
sults of  her  travels,  and  her  memory  teemed  with 
thrilling  stories  of  adventure  for  the  rare  and 
beautiful  trophies  she  secured. 

"There  is  still  one  interesting  spot  on  this  globe 
which  I  am  keen  to  visit,  but  I  have  never  had  the 
opportunity  to  go  as  I  wish  to  go,"  said  Mrs. 
Courtney,  one  day,  after  she  had  been  showing 
the  two  girls  the  collection  of  Filipino  curios  she 
got  during  a  six  months'  stay  at  the  Philippines. 

"I  should  have  said  there  was  no  spot  where 
you  have  not  been,"  laughed  Eleanor. 

"But  there  is,  and  that  is  the  South  Sea  Isles. 
I  have " 

"Where?"  gasped  both  the  girls,  unconsciously 
interrupting  the  speaker. 


BUSINESS  2?I 

Mrs.  Courtney  laughed.  "Yes,  the  South  Sea 
Isles.  Do  not  think  them  so  cannibalistic  as  re- 
port has  it,  my  dears.  I  know  an  American  who 
has  lived  there  more  than  twenty  years  and  he 
says  that  for  climate  and  interesting  life,  give  him 
the  South  Sea  Islands.  He  almost  persuaded  me 
to  take  the  trip  when  he  was  here  last." 

"Is  he  an  old  friend?"  asked  Polly. 

"No ;  he  is  a  man  I  used  to  commission  to  find 
certain  curios  for  me.  He  tells  me  that  textiles 
woven  and  colored  by  the  natives  of  those  islands 
are  the  most  beautiful  things  ever  seen.  The 
carvings  and  hammered  brasses  are  more  gor- 
geous than  those  of  Benares  or  of  the  East.  He 
has  made  quite  a  fortune  out  of  exporting  selected 
articles  from  the  Isles  to  the  United  States,  but  the 
great  difficulty  in  such  trade  is  the  uncertain  trans- 
portation methods.  His  goods  may  reach  their 
destination  and  again  they  may  not.  It  depends 
on  the  character  of  the  owner  or  captain  of  the 
vessel.  He  all  but  persuaded  me  to  buy  or  lease  a 
sea-going  yacht  and  make  the  trip  for  a  year's  out- 
ing. He  promised  me  that  all  costs  would  quickly 
be  defrayed  by  the  valuable  cargo  which  could  be 
stored  away  in  very  small  space  on  board  the 
yacht." 

"If  you  were  so  keen  about  visiting  that  place 


272     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

why  did  you  renounce  it?"  queried  Eleanor,  won- 
deringly. 

"Because  I  could  not  induce  any  of  my  friends 
to  accept  my  invitation  to  join  my  party  for  such 
an  outing."  Mrs  Courtney  laughed  as  she  remem- 
bered the  expressions  on  the  faces  of  her  friends 
when  they  heard  of  the  proposed  voyage. 

"Actually,  girls,  some  of  my  invited  guests 
asked  me  to  go  to  Monte  Carlo,  or  to  the  Orient, 
instead.  So  that  broke  up  the  plan." 

"Goodness !"  sighed  Polly,  "I  only  wish  I  had 
been  invited!" 

"Would  you  have  gone  willingly?"  asked  Mrs. 
Courtney,  eagerly. 

"Would  I?  Say,  Nolla,  would  you  have  gone 
with  me?"  was  Polly's  instant  retort. 

"Try  me  now  and  see?"  laughed  Eleanor  to 
Mrs.  Courtney. 

"Really,  girls,  do  not  joke !  I  am  seriously  in- 
clined to  take  that  trip,  providing  I  can  induce  the 
right  group  of  friends  to  accompany  me.  The 
cost  of  a  yacht  would  be  no  small  matter  in  these 
days  of  high  costs,  but  I  would  have  a  year's  in- 
tense satisfaction  out  of  such  a  trip,  and  Mr. 
Needham  said  he  felt  sure  the  costs  would  be  met 
by  the  cargo  I  could  carry  out  and  another  I  could 
bring  back  on  the  round  trip." 


BUSINESS  273 

"If  our  gold  mine  gets  to  working  again,  or 
should  the  lava  cliffs  open  soon,  both  Polly  and  I 
would  love  to  enlist  for  just  such  an  adventure. 
But  there  would  be  no  opportunity  to  add  to  our 
knowledge  of  decorating,  would  there?"  sug- 
gested Eleanor. 

"Not  unless  you  took  your  lessons  with  you, 
and  found  clients  out  there  who  wanted  you  to 
decorate  their  grass  huts  in  the  good  approved 
American  way,"  suggested  Mrs.  Courtney. 

"Nolla,  we  ought  not  to  dream  of  such  a  trip, 
because  we  are  tied  to  a  two-year  agreement  with 
each  other,  you  know.  Then  we've  got  to  give 
a  definite  answer  to  those  life-partners,  you 
know,"  was  Polly's  lugubrious  reply. 

"I  don't  know,  Polly!  In  such  an  unexpected 
matter  as  our  going  to  the  South  Seas,  a  mere  beau 
will  have  to  bide  his  time.  We  may  find  a  Fiji 
Islander  more  interesting  to  us  than  one  of  our 
Yankee  beaus,"  laughed  Eleanor. 

Mrs..  Courtney  heard  and  pondered  what  had 
just  been  said;  her  next  words  did  not  hint  of  her 
having  heard  the  discussion,  however. 

"If  I  do  take  such  a  trip,  it  shall  not  be  in  the 
approved  line  of  Cook's  Tours.  I  want  to  adven- 
ture in  absolute  freedom,  with  no  tagging  tourists 
or  other  obstacles  to  a  perfect  adventure. 


274    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

would  carefully  select  a  party  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
harmonious  souls  and  charter  or  buy  a  private 
yacht.  Then  start  and  stop  as  we  pleased.  No 
hurry,  no  lagging,  unless  we  chose.  It  seems  to 
me  that  such  a  wonderful  outing  would  bring 
peace,  at  last,  to  my  restless  spirit."  Mrs.  Court- 
ney sighed. 

The  girls  laughed  because  they  thought  she 
was  joking.  But  Mrs.  Courtney  was  in  earnest, 
as  they  were  to  find  out.  However,  the  topic  now 
being  discussed  was  the  South  Sea  Isle  trip  so  she 
was  determined  to  conclude  that  before  she 
launched  another. 

"If  I  invited  you  two  girls  to  accompany  me  as 
private  assistants  during  the  trip,  and  should  we 
find  a  score  of  kindred  spirits  willing  to  take  a  trip 
such  as  I  plan,  why  could  you  not  steal  six  months 
or  a  year  from  your  profession,  in.  order  to  see 
the  world?  Surely  it  would  do  you  no  harm,  and 
you  are  still  young  enough  to  go  on  with  your 
work  when  you  return  to  New  York?" 

Polly  and  Eleanor  seemed  to  have  exactly  the 
same  idea.  But  Eleanor  spoke  impetuously  of  it, 
while  Polly  pondered  seriously.  "Dear  me!  If 
only  Mr.  Dalken  could  spare  the  time  to  take  his 
yacht  and  invite  us  to  accompany  him  on  just  such 


BUSINESS  275 

a  voyage— what  a  wonderful  trip  it  would  be!" 

Mrs.  Courtney  glanced  at  the  girls,  then  said : 
"I've  heard  so  much  of  your  great  Mr.  Dalken 
but  I've  never  seen  him.  How  old  a  man  is  he, 
and  what  does  he  look  like?" 

"Oh,  Dalky  is  not  as  old  as  he  looks,  because 
he  has  had  such  an  unhappy  life,  you  know;  that  is 
how  we  came  to  love  him  so !  We  felt  keenly  for 
him,"  exclaimed  Eleanor,  regardless  of  the  sharp 
nudge  Polly  gave  her  as  a  warning  to  hold  her 
tongue. 

"Yes,  I  know  his  silly  wife,  poor  man!"  mur- 
mured Mrs.  Courtney.  She  seemed  to  be  lost  in 
a  sad  strain  of  thought  for  a  short  time,  and  the 
girls  hesitated  to  speak,  just  then. 

Soon,  however,  she  heaved  a  deep  sigh  and 
looked  up  to  smile  at  the  serious  faces  opposite 
her.  "Well,  perhaps  there  is  a  great  happiness  in 
store  for  your  good  friend,  to  repay  him  for  all 
he  has  silently  endured  these  past  years." 

"We  sincerely  hope  so!"  affirmed  Polly, 
earnestly.  "If  anyone  deserves  peace  and  joy, 
dear  Dalky  does." 

"How  little  the  world  really  knows  of  the 
sorrows  of  those  who  bear  their  cross  in  silence !" 
sighed  Mrs.  Courtney.  "Now,  I  have  heard  said 


276    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

that  Mr.  Dalken  is  a  very  gay  personage  who 
knows  how  to  make  the  most  of  his  money  and 
time.  But  that  report  came  from  his  wife,  so  I 
took  it  with  a  grain  of  salt.  I  know  from  my  own 
experience  just  how  the  sinner  tries  to  smear  the 
saint  with  his  own  crimes  although  I  do  not  mean 
by  that  that  I  am  a  saint." 

"Surely  you  had  no  unhappy  experience  in  your 
life,  Mrs.  Courtney!"  exclaimed  Eleanor,  not  from 
curiosity  but  from  the  desire  to  hear  her  esteemed 
friend  declare  that  she  had  had  only  joy  in  her 
days.  Mrs.  Courtney  understood  the  motive  that 
urged  the  question. 

"My  dear  children,  my  married  experience  was 
much  like  that  of  your  beloved  friend.  The  dif- 
ference being  that  my  gay  husband  used  my  posi- 
tion and  wealth  to  boost  himself  to  the  place  where 
he  found  more  agreeable  companions  than  I 
proved  to  be.  Out  of  sheer  self-respect  I  was 
forced  to  divorce  him.  Then  I  began  my  wander- 
ings over  the  globe,  and  finally  settled  in  this  city 
where  I  was  practically  unknown.  You  see,  my 
pride  could  not  brook  the  pity  of  my  friends  al- 
though they  approved  the  only  course  open  for  me 
when  my  husband  eloped  with  another  man's 
wife." 

"Oh,   dear  Mrs.   Courtney!"   sighed  Eleanor, 


BUSINESS  277 

ready  tears  springing  to  her  eyes.  But  Polly 
crept  over  and  placed  a  sympathetic  hand  upon 
that  of  her  hostess. 

"It  seems  ages  ago,  my  children,"  added  Mrs. 
Courtney.  "I  was  only  eighteen  when  I  married 
and  I  was  twenty-one  when  I  divorced  my  husband. 
I  never  had  a  child,  and  I  have  always  felt  as 
though  I  had  been  given  a  very  wretched  deal  in 
life,  for  I  love  children.  Because  of  my  experi- 
ence, I  can  advise  other  young  girls — not  to  marry 
too  young,  nor  to  accept  a  man  for  his  looks  or 
manners.  A  girl  needs  to  be  experienced  from 
business,  or  travel  and  association  with  men,  before 
she  is  capable  of  judging  wisely  and  selecting  the 
proper  mate  for  life." 

The  bond  created  that  morning  between  the 
mature  woman  and  the  two  young  girls,  proved 
to  be  of  such  quality  as  would  last.  And  such  a 
friend  as  Mrs.  Courtney  would  be  for  two  young 
girls,  was  one  of  the  benefits  both  Polly  and  Elea- 
nor received  by  visiting  country  auctions  of  a 
higher  class.  Not  that  the  particular  sale  at 
Parsippany  was  "higher  class,"  because  it  was 
proved  to  have  been  a  fake  sale,  but  the  type  of 
buyers  it  attracted  were  of  an  advanced  type  of 

mentality. 

"But,  children,  you  have  told  me  nothing  more 


*78     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

about  your  good  friend  Dalken!  Tell  me  more, 
of  him.  I  just  heard  of  his  wife's  latest  project, 
and  I  wish  to  be  informed  first  hand." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Mrs.  Courtney?  His 
wife's  latest  project?"  asked  Polly,  fearfully. 

"Oh,  perhaps  you  were  not  aware  that  she  is  in 
Reno  ?  She  found  an  affinity,  it  seems,  during  her 
visit  abroad,  last  summer,  and  it  became  necessary 
for  her  to  sever  her  legal  ties  if  she  wished  to 
marry  this  other  man.  I  heard  of  the  scandal 
but  not  being  interested  in  the  woman,  and  not 
knowing  the  man,  I  paid  no  attention  to  the  suit. 
Divorce  cases  are  so  common  in  these  degenerate 
days."  Mrs.  Courtney  sighed  again,  and  showed 
her  disapproval  of  the  modern  style  of  marriages. 

"Poor  Dalky!  I  wonder  if  he  knows  of  this?" 
cried  Polly. 

"He  would  have  to,  dear,  because  she  would 
have  to  serve  him  with  papers,  you  see,"  explained 
Mrs.  Courtney. 

"And  he  never  said  a  word  to  any  one  nor  did 
he  let  us  see  he  was  disturbed  in  any  way,"  added 
Eleanor. 

"Maybe  the  poor  man  is  relieved  to  have  it  so. 
At  least,  he  will  be  exempt  from  paying  her  such 
an  outrageous  income,  you  know.  I  take  for 
granted  that  he  will  put  in  his  defence,  thus  absolv- 


BUSINESS  279 

ing  himself  from  alimony,"  explained  Mrs.  Court- 
ney. 

"It  would  be  exactly  like  him  to  keep  quiet  and 
let  that  horrid  woman  get  all  she  can.  He  is  so 
magnanimous,  you  know,  that  he  would  think  to 
himself  'She  was  the  mother  of  my  children,  and 
as  such  I  must  not  deprive  her  of  what  she  may 
need'."  Polly's  voice  had  a  dual  tone  as  she  spoke: 
one  of  sympathy  for  Mr.  Dalken,  one  of  scorn  for 
Mrs.  Dalken. 

Mrs.  Courtney  laughed  softly.  "I  am  getting 
my  impressions  of  your  friend  in  piece-meal.  You 
have  not  yet  told  me  about  him." 

"That  is  because  you've  told  us  such  astonish- 
ing news.  But  now  I'll  tell  you  all  about  good  old 
Dalky,"  said  Eleanor.  "He  is  a  handsome  man 
of  about  forty-two  or  four,  I  think.  Isn't  he, 

Polly?" 

"Yes,  about  that  age,"  agreed  Polly. 

"Well,  besides  his  being  handsome  and  middle- 
aged,  he  is  loving,  awfully  rich,  both  in  money  and 
goo4  friends,  and  one  of  the  most  intelligent  mor- 
tals I  ever  met!" 

Eleanor's    description    made    Mrs.    Courtney 
smile      "One  would  be  led  to  think  you  had  me 
all  kinds  and  conditions  of  mortals  in  your  long, 
long  life,  child,"  remarked  she. 


280    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Sometimes  I  think  I  am  very  much  older  in  life 
lhan  seems  to  be,"  mused  Eleanor.  "I  feel  some- 
how, that  I  have  lived  many  centuries  before  this 
queer  modern  experience." 

"You  must  have  been  reading  theosophical 
books,  my  dear,"  remarked  Mrs.  Courtney,  eyeing 
Eleanor  closely. 

"No,  I  never  have.  I'm  not  interested  in  any 
such  form  of  research — not  yet,"  she  laughed. 

"Nolla,  we  ought  to  be  going — really!  Every 
time  we  come  here  to  talk  boudoir  decorating  we 
switch  off  into  some  byway  of  personal  interest, 
and  that  makes  us  come  again  to  get  down  to 
work,"  said  Polly,  rising  and  adjusting  her  hat, 
preparatory  to  saying  goodby. 

"But  what  about  our  round-trip  to  the  South 
Sea  Isles?"  was  Mrs.  Courtney's  query. 

"It  isn't  coming  off,  at  once,  is  it?  You've 
got  to  find  a  group  who  are  companionable,  and 
you've  got  to  get  the  yacht,"  said  Eleanor. 

"It  may  not  take  me  more  than  a  week  to  do 
both.  When  I  make  up  my  mind  to  a  thing,  I 
generally  do  it,"  returned  Mrs.  Courtney. 

"We'd  have  to  gain  the  consent  of  our  parents 
before  we  could  even  think  of  taking  such  a  mar- 
vellous voyage,"  declared  Polly. 

"But  the  main  point  is  this:  would  you  really 


BUSINESS  281 

care  to  go,  or  would  you  prefer  staying  in  New 
York  to  continue  your  profession?"  asked  Mrs. 
Courtney. 

"We'd  love  to  go  with  you,  but  I'm  not  sure 
I'd  want  to  remain  away  from  my  work  for  a 
whole  year,"  was  Polly's  thoughtful  answer. 

"If  we  entertained  any  ideas  of  taking  the  voy- 
age, the  best  time  for  us  to  start  would  be  next 
Fall.  Then  we  could  spend  our  entire  winter  in 
the  tropics  and  escape  the  heat  in  the  equator  in 
the  summer,  or  rainy  season,  by  sailing  home 
again." 

"Oh,  it  sounds  great  1  It  remains  to  see  who 
would  go,"  said  Eleanor.  Then  the  girls  said 
goodby,  and  started  away,  full  of  the  unusual  in- 
vitation they  had  heard  that  afternoon. 

"I'm  sure  mother  and  father  would  not  wish  me 
to  go,"  said  Polly,  after  the  subject  had  been  ex- 
hausted. 

"Of  course,  you  couldn't  offer  the  excuse  that 
you  were  going  for  advancement  in  your  profes- 
sion— as  we  did  when  we  wanted  to  tour  Europe, 

you  know." 

"Leaving  the  thrilling  trip  out  of  our  minds 
for  a  time,  I  want  to  ask  you  if  you  suspected  any- 
thing troubling  Dalky,  lately?"  said  Polly,  seri- 
ously. 


232     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Not  a  thing.  He  has  seemed  just  the  same  as 
ever." 

"That's  what  I  should  have  said.  Then  he 
may  not  know  about  his  wife's  perfidy,  and  I  think 
we  ought  to  prepare  him  for  such  news,  Nolla." 

"Polly,  we  tried  to  force  an  adopted  son  on  him, 
once,  and  since  that  time  I  have  been  wary  of  try- 
ing to  interfere  in  any  other  of  his  personal  af- 
fairs." 

"Then  let  us  talk  it  over  with  Prof,  and  ask 
what  he  thinks  about  telling  Mr.  Ashby,"  sug- 
gested Polly. 

"That's  more  like  sense.  We'll  tell  Mr.  Ashby 
ourselves,  when  we  get  back  to  the  Shops." 

Thus  Mr.  Ashby  was  told  the  story  as  told  by 
Mrs.  Courtney  but  he  seemed  not  surprised  as 
the  girls  expected  him  to  be.  He  merely  shook 
his  head  sympathetically  and  said  nothing. 

"Did  you  know  it?"  asked  Polly,  amazed. 

"We  all  knew  of  it  a  few  weeks  ago.  Poor 
Dalky  refused  all  our  advice  to  fight  the  divorce 
and  exempt  himself  from  paying  alimony — as  he 
will  have  to  do  for  not  putting  in  a  defence. 
He  smiled  tolerantly  and  explained:  'If  she  wants 
any  of  my  money  she  is  welcome  to  it.  I  have 
more  than  I  can  use,  you  know'." 


BUSINESS  283 

"There!  that  is  exactly  what  I  said  he  would 
do !"  declared  Polly,  vehemently. 

"Oh,  why  does  he  lei  her  have  it?  There  are 
so  many  ways  he  could  make  poor  people  happy, 
instead  of  throwing  his  wealth  away  on  such  a  mer- 
cenary creature  1"  wailed  Eleanor. 

"We  have  no  right  to  question  his  motives, 
Nolla,"  said  Mr.  Ashby,  seriously.  "I  do  not 
wish  to  speak  of  this  again,  unless  he  himself 
mentions  the  subject  to  you  girls.  He  has  seemed 
anxious  to  keep  the  news  from  you,  for  some 
reason.  But  I  firmly  believe  the  poor  man  still 
has  a  shred  of  love  for  his  wife  alive  in  his  bosom, 
and  that  is  why  he  will  not  oppose  her  in  any  way 
she  wishes  to  secure  happiness." 

That  night  when  Polly  and  Eleanor  sat  together 
doing  some  home-work  on  decorating,  Polly  sud- 
denly looked  up  and  said:  "Nolla,  if  only  our  dear 
Dalky  could  meet  our  dear  Mrs.  Courtney — 
wouldn't  they  make  a  fine  couple?" 

"Oh,  Poll!  There  you  go  again!  ^  I  have 
tried  to  keep  from  thinking  that  very  thing,  ever 
since  I  heard  Mrs.  Courtney  tell  us  of  that  horrid 
woman's  being  in  Reno.  Our  Dalky  will  be  free, 
and  what  so  great  as  to  have  him  fall  in  love  with 
a  really  appreciative  woman."  Eleanor  clasped 


284    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

her  hands  and'  expressed  ecstatic  joy  at  the  very 
idea  of  such  bliss. 

"But  the  whole  plan  would  be  ruined  if  it  turned 
out  that  Dalky  was  still  in  love  with  his  first  wife, 
you  know,"  argued  Polly. 

"It  wouldn't  take  long  to  get  him  out  of  it,"  re- 
torted Eleanor.  "With  such  a  lovely  woman  as 
Mrs.  Courtney  to  be  had  for  the  loving  and 
asking,  I'd  like  to  wager  all  I  have  that  Dalky 
would  walk  into  the  snare." 

"What  snare?  Who'd  set  it  for  his  faltering 
steps?"  laughed  Polly,  enjoying  this  romancing  to 
the  utmost. 

"Why,  we  would,  to  be  sure.  Now  look  at  it  in 
a  practical  way,  Poll.  There  is  Mrs.  Courtney: 
very  good-looking,  rich,  refined,  lonely,  about 
thirty-five  or  thirty-eight,  at  most.  Here  is  our 
Dalky,  also  handsome,  rich,  refined,  lonely  (but 
for  us)  about  forty  years  old,  and  just  the  man  to 
have  a  wonderful  wife  to  make  him  happy.  Is 
that  not  an  ideal  match?"  Eleanor  tossed  her 
head  wisely. 

"That's  what  we  think!  But  we  are  not  going 
to  marry  Dalky  nor  Mrs.  Courtney.  They  may 
not  agree  with  us,  you  know." 

"Polly,  nothing  like  trying  out  a  thing  to  see 
how  it  works.  Now  we  must  scheme  to  bring 


BUSINESS  285 

those  two  together  and  let  them  find  out  how 
desirable  each  is  for  the  other,"  suggested  Elea- 
nor. 

"I  think  that  is  a  good  plan — bring  them  to- 
gether and  see  how  they  seem  to  get  along,"  said 
Polly,  musingly. 

"All  right,  then.     How  shall  we  do  it?" 

"Could  we  not  invite  Mrs.  Courtney  to  inspect 
some  of  the  materials  we  are  going  to  order  for 
D alky's  apartment?  We  could  so  plan  that 
Dalky  would  be  there  at  the  same  time.  Then, 
they  would  meet  and  hear  that  each  one  is  the 
great  and  only  friend  the  other  has  heard  so  much 
about  from  us?" 

"Yes,  that's  a  fine  way  to  get  them  together," 
said  Polly.  "Now  when  shall  it  be?" 

"The  sooner,  the  better,"  retorted  Eleanor. 

"We  are  going  to  get  that  book  of  new  im- 
ported samples  of  damask,  this  week,  Nolla. 
Why  not  ask  Mrs.  Courtney  to  look  at  them. 
As  they  are  ordered  for  Dalky's  apartment,  what 
more  natural  than  he  should  drop  in  to  look  them 
over?" 

Eleanor  clapped  Polly  on  the  back  with  ap- 
proval, and  both  girls  then  put  their  heads  to- 
gether and  romanced  about  the  great  match  they 
would  bring  about. 


286     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

A  few  days  after  this  conversation,  the  much- 
desired  package  came  by  European  post.  It  was 
the  book  of  imported  samples  which  had  been 
ordered  for  Mr.  Dalken's  inspection  before  he 
would  place  an  order  for  the  materials.  The 
work  at  Mrs.  Courtney's  residence  had  been  de- 
layed because  the  youthful  decorators  said  they 
wished  to  look  over  the  magnificent  materials  from 
Paris.  When  they  were  sure  of  Mr.  Dalken's 
visit  to  the  Shops  that  morning,  they  also  insisted 
upon  Mrs.  Courtney  coming  in  to  look  over  the 
materials. 

The  two  plotters  could  hardly  keep  from  hug- 
ging each  other  when  they  knew  that  both  friends 
were  coming,  and  the  opportunity  of  having  them 
meet  and  fall  in  love  with  each  other  was  given 
at  last. 

But  they  did  not  allow  for  Fate. 

There  happened  to  be  a  socialistic  parade  of 
demonstration  against  work,  or  some  such  com- 
plaint, that  noon;  and  just  as  the  parade  reached 
that  section  of  Fifth  Avenue  where  the  Ashby 
Shops  were  located,  the  police  held  up  all  vehicu- 
lar traffic.  All  cars  were  diverted  from  the 
Avenue  to  side  streets,  but  those  unfortunate 
cars  caught  just  at  the  point  of  crossing  the  street, 
had  to  back  and  wait  until  those  behind  had 


BUSINESS 

backed  out  of  the  congestion,  before  they  could 
slowly  make  their  way  out. 

Mrs.  Courtney's  chauffeur  had  just  attempted 
to  cross  the  Avenue  in  order  to  turn  in  front  of 
the  Ashby  Shops,  when  the  signal  came  and  all 
traffic,  up  or  down  or  crosstown,  was  held  up  until 
the  parade  should  have  passed.  Mrs.  Courtney 
was  furious. 

"Back  out  and  we'll  go  around  a  side  street  to 
get  to  my  destination,"  spoke  she  to  the  chauf- 
feur. 

The  man  glanced  in  the  mirror  to  see  if  the 
way  behind  was  open,  and  finding  no  car  directly 
in  his  pathway,  he  began  to  quickly  back  out.  In 
the  moment  he  took  his  eye  from  the  reflector, 
another  car  shot  up  close  to  Mrs.  Courtney's 
automobile;  thus  her  driver  backed  suddenly  into 
the  newly  arrived  car  behind. 

There  was  a  smash  of  lamps,  a  grinding  of 
fenders  and  the  interlocking  of  back  and  front 
bumpers.  The  passengers  were  rudely  thrown 
from  the  luxurious  cushioned  seats,  and  Mrs. 
Courtney  had  her  new  imported  hat  crushed  out 
of  shape. 

The  two  chauffeurs  jumped  down  and  began  to 
blame  each  other  for  the  accident;  Mr.  Dalken 
managed  to  pick  himself  up  from  the  floor  of  his 


288     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

limousine  and  step  stiffly  out  to  learn  who  was  to 
blame.  Mrs.  Courtney  was  sure  she  was  in  the 
right;  and  when  the  handsome  gentleman  came 
up  to  her  car  to  tell  her  she  had  a  stupid  chauf- 
feur, for  he  should  have  looked  well  before  back- 
ing so  recklessly  into  the  congested  tangle  of  cars 
behind  him,  she  resented  his  charge. 

While  Mr.  Dalken  stood  beside  Mrs.  Court- 
ney's car  trying  to  convince  her  she  was  in  the 
wrong,  the  two  chauffeurs  began  to  use  their  fists 
upon  each  other.  Then,  in  a  few  minutes'  time, 
the  officer  stationed  at  the  corner  to  maintain  order 
for  the  paraders,  rushed  up  and  arrested  both 
combatants.  Naturally,  this  caused  their  em- 
ployers to  see  that  justice  was  done,  and  thus  it 
happened  that  all  contestants  accompanied  the  of- 
ficer to  the  police-station. 

Meantime  Polly  and  Eleanor  waited  and 
waited,  but  no  one  came  to  inspect  their  sample 
book.  They  telephoned  Mrs.  Courtney's  house 
and  were  told  she  had  left,  in  her  car,  fully  an. 
hour  before.  Then  they  telephoned  Mr.  Dai- 
ken's  office  and  heard  that  he  had  driven  away  in 
his  car  fully  an  hour  before. 

"The  old  parade  must  have  held  them  up," 
suggested  Polly. 

"But  that's  over,  now,  and  they  surely  could 


BUSINESS  289 

have  been  here  if  they  were  detained  at  one  of  the 
nearby  cross-streets,"  said  Eleanor. 

Another  half  hour  passed  and  then  two  cars 
drove  up  and  stopped  before  the  Ashby  Shops. 
Two  people  stepped  from  their  individual  cars 
and  two  angry  people  stood  and  stared  at  each 
other.  Then  Mr.  Dalken,  recovering  first,  bowed 
stiffly  and  walked  across  the  pavement  to  enter 
the  Shop  door.  Mrs.  Courtney  had  started  to 
cross  the  sidewalk  before  she  realized  that  her  un- 
known opponent  was  entering  the  same  Shop  she 
was  bound  for.  She  passed  through  the  door  he 
held  open,  and  sent  him  a  careless  glance  of 
thanks,  then  looked  around  for  the  girls  whom  she 
had  expected  to  meet  there. 

Neither  girl  was  in  sight,  and  the  lady  now 
asked  one  of  the  salesmen,  "Where  shall  I  find 
Miss  Brewster  or  Miss  Maynard?" 

"Just  step  this  way,  Madam.  I'll  take  you  to 
their  private  office,"  was  the  polite  reply. 

Mrs.  Courtney  glanced  in  a  large  mirror  to 
assure  herself  that  her  hat  was  presentable,  then 
followed  her  escort.  As  she  reached  the  partly 
closed  door  of  the  office  used  by  the  young  decora- 
tors, she  heard  a  man's  voice.  The  same  voice 
which  had  been  accusing  her  chauffeur  of  bad  judg- 
ment and  ignorance  of  city  laws.  Before  she 


29o    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

could  change  her  mind  about  entering  the  room, 
however,  the  escort  had  knocked  and  Polly  flung 
the  door  open.  She  welcomed  the  new  visitor. 

Both  girls  were  tickled  to  pieces  to  find  how 
their  plot  was  coming  on  apace :  both  dear  friends 
were  now  together  at  the  same  time,  and  all  that 
was  needed  was  for  them  to  be  introduced. 

"Oh,  isn't  this  just  lovely!"  cried  Eleanor,  act- 
ing her  part  very  well.  "To  find  both  our  friends 
here  at  the  same  time  I" 

"Dear  Mrs.  Courtney,  this  is  our  dear  Mr. 
Dalken,"  said  Polly,  politely. 

"And  this  is  the  dear  friend  we  have  told  you  of 
so  often,  Dalky!"  added  Eleanor,  effusively. 

The  lady  and  gentleman  bowed  distantly  but 
never  smiled;  the  girls  wondered  at  their  strange 
behavior.  Then  Mr.  Dalken  said  sarcastically: 

"We  have  met  before.  In  fact,  the  lady  is 
obliged  to  me  for  having  spared  her  chauffeur  a 
fine." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  gasped  Polly,  all  at  sea. 

"He  means,  my  dears,  that  he  took  us  to  the 
police  station  a  short  time  ago,  just  because  his 
stupid  chauffeur  wouldn't  back  out  of  the  conges- 
tion. Naturally,  when  my  man  tried  to  back  out 
the  car  grazed  the  one  behind,  and  that  started 
the  fight,"  explained  Mrs.  Courtney. 


BUSINESS  291 

"I  beg  pardon,  Madam.  /  did  not  take  you  to 
the  station  house.  You  took  yourself  in  order  to 
save  your  chauffeur.  And  I  went  to  see  that  my 
poor  man  had  simple  justice  in  the  case,"  said  Mr. 
Dalken,  bowing  low  in  mock  humility. 

"Oh,  oh!  Isn't  this  dreadful  after  all  we 
hoped  for!"  cried  Polly,  throwing  herself  in  a 
chair  and  burying  her  face  in  her  arms. 

"What  is  so  awful,  Polly  dear?"  asked  Mrs. 
Courtney,  springing  over  to  the  troubled  girl  and 
placing  an  arm  about  her. 

"Oh,  oh !  I  am  so  heart-broken  over  this  mis- 
fortune !"  cried  Polly. 

"What  misfortune,  Polly  dear?"  now  asked 
Mr.  Dalken,  coming  close  to  the  girl 

"Oh,  oh,  oh!     I  can't  speak  of  it!"  sobbed 

Polly. 

"Perhaps  I  can  comfort  her,  Madam,  if  you  will 
allow  me,"  suggested  Mr.  Dalken,  anxious  to  take 
Mrs.  Courtney's  place  as  comforter. 

She  sent  him  a  glance  that  said  as  plain  as 
could  be:  "I  can  comfort  her  myself— you  need 

not  mind!" 

Meanwhile  Eleanor  stood  and  rapidly  ponder, 
the  situation.     She  felt  like  laughing  outrageously 
at  the  prank  Cupid  had  played  on  them,  but  she 
dared  not  utter  a  sound  of  mirth  because  that 


292     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

might  spoil  everything.  And  there  might  be  a 
possible  chance  of  saving  the  day,  after  all. 

Suddenly,  without  any  previous  notice,  Eleanor 
fell  upon  the  other  chair  by  the  table  and  dropped 
her  head  upon  her  folded  arms.  Her  body  shook 
nervously,  and  Mr.  Dalken  believed  her  to  be 
crying,  too.  He  hastened  to  assure  her  that  there 
was  really  nothing  to  cry  about,  but  his  assurance 
only  caused  the  girl  to  quake  the  more. 

Eleanor  was  not  crying,  but  had  felt  that  she 
must  laugh  or  leave  the  room.  As  she  had  no  de- 
sire to  leave,  she  tried  to  hide  her  laughing  in  her 
arms  upon  the  table.  But  when  Mr.  Dalken  be- 
gan to  comfort  her,  she  lost  all  control  of  her- 
self and  had  an  attack  of  hysterical  laughter. 

The  two  distraught  adults  were  not  able  to  cope 
with  the  situation,  and  they  looked  at  each  other 
in  mute  appeal.  Mr.  Dalken  was  the  first  to 
speak. 

"We'd  better  bury  the  hatchet  and  do  some- 
thing for  the  children,"  said  he,  anxiously.  "Do 
you  know  what  to  do?" 

"Had  I  better  get  a  doctor,  or  something?" 
added  he. 

"Better  get  something,"  replied  Mrs.  Courtney, 
without  thinking  how  silly  it  must  sound. 


BUSINESS  293 

This  sent  Eleanor  off  into  another  wild  spell  of 
laughter,  but  Polly  began  to  quiet  now  that  she 
heard  her  friend  making  such  a  disturbance.  The 
ungoverned  laughter  attracted  Mr.  Ashby  who 
had  just  entered  the  Shops. 

"Well,  well!  What  has  happened?"  was  the 
natural  thing  for  him  to  say,  the  moment  he  en- 
tered the  room. 

Mr.  Dalken  trie'd  to  explain  that  a  slight  shock 
had  occasioned  the  hysteria,  and  then  Mr.  Ashby 
ran  for  the  jug  of  icewater  on  the  small  stand 
by  the  door.  Eleanor  was  liberally  soaked  with 
water  before  she  could  control  her  nerves,  but  once 
she  could  gasp  again,  she  cried,  "Oh,  Mr.  Ashby  1 
make  our  two  dear  friends  patch  up  their  quarrel ! 
I  shall  have  another  fit  unless  they  shake  hands 
right  before  my  face  and  promise  never  again  to 
act  like  children!" 

As  the  logic  of  this  accusation  seemed  apparent 
to  all  present,  Mr.  Dalken  smiled  graciously  upon 
Mrs.  Courtney  and  she  held  out  her  hand  without 
further  animosity.  Then  Mr.  Ashby  had  to  hear 
the  story  of  the  accident. 

As  it  was  concluded  he  laughed  heartily  and 
said,  "When  I  came  in,  just  now,  I  saw  two  chauf- 
feurs sitting  on  the  running  board  of  Dalky's  car, 


294    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

smoking  cigarettes  and  laughing  together  as  if 
they  were  twin  brothers.  No  sign  of  disagree- 
ment there" 

"Oh  the  wretches!  And  in  the  station  house 
they  called  each  other  all  sorts  of  bad  names  and 
swore  to  do  away  with  each  other  the  moment  they 
found  an  opportunity,"  complained  Mrs.  Court- 
ney. 

The  others  laughed  at  her  pathetic  voice,  and 
Mr.  Dalken  said,  "When  they  discovered  they 
were  both  Swedes  they  decided  they  had  best  com- 
bine their  forces  against  the  common  enemy-em- 
ployer." 

Now  that  reconciliation  had  been  brought  about 
between  these  two  good  friends,  Eleanor  wondered 
what  next  to  do  to  further  the  match  she  had  deter- 
mined to  bring  about.  She  looked  at  Polly  for  in- 
spiration, but  Polly  seemed  to  lack  any  initia- 
tive. 

"Well,  girls !  Now  that  you  have  agreed  to  re- 
main yet  a  little  longer  on  this  earth  with  us,  I 
shall  have  to  be  saying  good-by,"  declared  Mr. 
Dalken,  bowing  before  Mrs.  Courtney  in  his 
most  dignified  manner. 

"Oh,  no,  Dalky!  Wait  just  a  minute!"  cried 
Eleanor.  Then  turning  to  Polly  for  help,  she 
added,  "We  want  Mrs.  Courtney  and  you  to  come 


BUSINESS  295 

and  dine  with  us,  some  evening,  this  week.  Not  at 
Mr.  Fabian's,  you  know,  but  at  a  nice  quaint  little 
place  we  know  of." 

This  was  news  to  Polly,  but  she  waited  to  hear 
more  before  she  spoke.  Mr.  Dalken  laughed  and 
waited  for  Mrs.  Courtney  to  speak. 

"What  is  this?  Do  you  need  a  chaperone  for 
an  evening?"  said  she,  trying  to  fathom  Eleanor's 
thoughts. 

"No,  no !  But  you  see,  Mr.  Ashby  always  takes 
his  important  clients  to  a  famous  restaurant  for 
dinner,  so  we  have  to  do  the  same.  You  two  are 
our  first  big  customers,  and  I  want  to  do  the  busi- 
ness up  as  it  should  be  done."  Every  one  laughed 
at  Eleanor. 

"Under  the  circumstances,  I  think  I  should  be 
the  host  and  you  three  ladies  my  guests,"  suggested 
Mr.  Dalken. 

»\\/-ell — anyway  you  say,  Dalky,  just  so  long  as 
we  get  together  for  an  evening,"  sighed  Eleanor, 
as  if  relieved  at  the  change  of  plans.  This  called 
forth  another,  heartier,  laugh  at  her  expense. 

One  evening,  therefore,  the  four,  now  good 
friends,  met  at  one  of  the  new  unique  cabarets,  and 
having  enjoyed  dinner  and  the  dancing,  they  spoke 
of  Mrs.  Courtney's  idea  of  taking  a  trip  to  the 
South  Sea  Isles.  Mr.  Dalken  laughed  immodcr- 


296     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

ately  at  the  mention  of  the  place  selected  for  a 
pleasure  trip. 

"Now  I  am  truly  sorry  you  have  set  your 
hearts  on  going  to  the  South  Seas,  for  I  had  been 
secretly  planning  a  little  jaunt  on  my  own  ac- 
count. One  reason  I  bought  that  sea-going  yacht 
was  to  have  my  best  friends  take  short  voyages 
with  me,  whenever  we  could  get  away  from  busi- 
ness. 

"I  find  that  I  must  try  to  break  away  from  New 
York  in  early  Spring,  and  the  doctor  says  a  sea- 
voyage  is  the  best  vacation  I  can  possibly  take. 
Hence  I  wanted  to  have  my  two  girls  with  me.  If 
you  are  planning  to  go  to  the  South  Seas  I  suppose 
it  will  be  out  of  the  question  for  you  to  go  to  the 
Orient,  on  my  planned  trip?" 

As  Mr.  Dalken  paused  to  watch  the  effect  of 
this  speech,  both  the  girls  uOh'ed  and  Ah'ed"  and 
glanced  at  Mrs.  Courtney.  She  said  nothing  and 
her  face  was  a  blank  so  no  one  could  read  her 
mind. 

"I  had  jotted  down  a  list  of  names  of  sociable 
spirits,  such  as  the  Fabians,  the  Ashbys,  the  Alex- 
anders, the  Brewsters,  the  Maynards,  the  Lati- 
mers,  the  Evans,  the  Stewarts,  and  Mrs.  Court- 
ney with  Jack  Baxter  to  look  after  her  in  lieu  of 
other  escort.  It  may  be  impossible  for  all  mem- 


BUSINESS  297 

bers  in  the  families  I  mention  to  continue  with  us 
on  the  voyage,  but  they  can  accompany  us  part 
way  and  then  come  back  home.  I  planned  to  go 
via  the  Panama  Canal,  and  thus  on  to  Hawaii, 
touching  there  for  a  short  visit  to  the  Islands,  and 
those  of  our  party  who  must  return  to  the  States, 
can  get  back  by  steamer  to  California  and  thence 
to  their  respective  homes.  We  will  sail  on  to  the 
land  of  cherry  blossoms  and  pigtails.  But  you 
girls  with  one  short  sentence  blast  all  these  cher- 
ished dreams." 

"Oh,  no,  Dalky!  We  wouldn't  change  your 
plans  for  the  world !"  exclaimed  Polly,  anxiously. 
"You  see,  the  South  Sea  Isles  will  wait  until  we 
can  get  there,  but  you  and  your  plans  are  apt  to 
change — as  the  railroad  guides  read — without 
notice  at  any  time!" 

A  laugh  followed  Polly's  remark,  and  Mr. 
Dalken  added,  "Well  just  mull  over  this  project 
for  a  time  and  give  me  your  individual  opinions 
about  it.  Of  course,  we  would  be  crowded  if 
everyone  in  the  families  mentioned  were  to  accept 
my  invitation  and  take  the  round  trip ;  but  I  feel 
quite  safe  in  inviting  all  because  I  am  sure  I  can 
bank  on  certain  ones  refusing  to  go." 

"I  don't  believe  you  could  tear  father  or  mother 
away  from  Pebbly  Pit,"  remarked  Polly,  wistfully. 


298     POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"And  I  know  for  certain  that  mother  and  Bob 
wouldn't  give  up  their  summer  season  at  a  fash- 
ionable resort,  just  to  join  a  party  of  old-fashioned 
sea-farers,"  laughed  Eleanor. 

"Do  you  think  you  could  persuade  your  father 
to  join  us?"  asked  Mr.  Dalken. 

"I  bet  he  would  go  as  far  as  Honolulu,  any- 
way!" said  Eleanor. 

"That's  one  for  certain  to  start  with!"  laughed 
Mr.  Dalken. 

"Then  there  is  Polly  and  myself  and  Mrs. 
Courtney,  for  certain — and  that  makes  four;  with 
yourself,  we  are  five!"  exulted  Eleanor,  drawing 
forth  another  laugh. 

"Then  it  is  settled,  eh?  We  sail  for  the  Orient 
without  more  ado,  just  as  soon  as  your  extensive 
business  deals  are  done  and  you  will  need  a  long 
rest  in  order  to  recuperate  for  next  year's  work," 
chuckled  Mr.  Dalken. 

"If  our  two  clients  would  postpone  their  deco- 
rating for  a  year,  we  might  be  able  to  start  to- 
morrow," remarked  Polly,  smilingly. 

"But  the  clients  are  obdurate,  especially  when 
the  decorators  need  payment  and  prestige  to  suc- 
ceed in  their  profession.  Besides,  the  owner  of 
the  yacht  is  not  keen  on  sailing  the  seas  in  the 


BUSINESS  299 

middle  of  winter  and  then  land  in  China  in  the  wet 
season." 

"Yes,  he  is  right,"  admitted  Polly. 

"If  we  should  really  take  such  a  trip,  Dalky, 
what  is  the  best  time  of  the  year  to  start?"  asked 
Eleanor. 

"Well,  we  could  leave  New  York  in  May  or 
June,  dawdle  along  the  route  until  we  reach  South- 
ern California.  Those  who  cannot  take  time  to 
go  to  Hawaii,  can  railroad  themselves  back  home, 
and  we  can  sail  leisurely  across  the  Pacific  to  visit 
the  Hawaiian  Islands.  There  again,  those  who 
cannot  go  on  to  the  Orient  with  the  decorators  who 
need  to  study  customs  and  periods  in  the  Far  East, 
may  say  good-by  to  us  and  watch  us  go  west,  while 
they  go  east  back  to  business. 

"If  we  take  our  time,  stopping  at  the  Philippines 
on  the  way,  we  ought  to  do  Japan  and  China  and 
even  the  principal  parts  of  India,  in  a  few  months. 
We  can  bid  the  East  good-by  about  March  and 
escape  the  unpleasant  season  there.  By  taking  a 
direct  route  home  we  might  reach  New  York  in 
June.  It  all  depends." 

"Oh,  wouldn't  it  be  wonderful  I  And  all  our 
dearest  friends  with  us!"  cried  Polly,  clasping  her 
hands  in  ecstasy. 


300    POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 

"Dear,  dear!  If  only  Tom  will  let  you  go, 
Polly!"  sighed  Eleanor,  mischievously. 

"Tom!  What  has  Tom  got  to  do  with  it?" 
demanded  Polly. 

"Well,  you  know,  he  says  you  ought  to  consider 
his  wishes  more,  since  he  is  sure  you  are  his  soul- 
mate,"  teased  Eleanor. 

"The  sooner  he  finds  out  that  I  propose  keeping 
my  own  soul  in  custody  the  better  it  will  be  for 
Tom!"  declared  Polly. 

"There,  now!  That  doesn't  sound  much  as  if 
our  Polly  was  deeply  in  love,  does  it,  Dalky?" 
laughed  Eleanor,  clapping  her  hands. 

"I  never  thought  she  was !  She  was  moved  by 
compassion  for  Tom,  to  partly  agree  to  consider 
his  proposal.  I  knew  she  would  not  forfeit  her 
profession  for  the  doubtful  result  of  conjugal 
bliss,"  remarked  Mr.  Dalken. 

"Hem — she's  right!"  asserted  Mrs.  Courtney. 
"When  two  people,  as  you  and  I  are,  are  on  hand" 
to  prevent  our  young  friends  from  precipitating 
themselves  into  double  harness  before  they  have 
thoroughly  studied  their  own  minds  and  desires, 
we  ought  to  succeed  in  the  work  because  we  speak 
from  experience." 

"Yes,"  agreed  Mr.  Dalken,  reminiscently ;  "I 


BUSINESS  301 

would  never  marry  the  finest  woman  on  earth, 
after  my  first  venture." 

"Nor  would  I  accept  a  man,  even  though  he 
presented  himself  to  me  in  guise  of  a  saint !  Even 
saints  have  their  bad  days,"  laughed  Mrs.  Court- 
ney. 

Polly  and  Eleanor  exchanged  troubled  glances 
for  it  was  evident  that  their  match-making  was 
hopeless.  But  the  voyage  to  the  Orient  might  de- 
velop many  interesting  things  which  were  not  re- 
vealed to  the  actors  then.  Thus  we  leave  Polly 
and  Eleanor  for  the  time,  and  return  to  our  own 
affairs  until  it  is  time  to  go  on  board  Mr.  Dalken's 
yacht  for  the  long  trip  half-way  around  the  world. 


THE  END 


This  Isn't  AW 


Would  you  like  to  know  what 
became  of  the  good  friends  you 
have  made  in  this  book? 

Would  you  like  to  read  other 
stories  continuing  their  adventures 
and  experiences,  or  other  books 
quite  as  entertaining  by  the  same 
author  ? 

On  the  reverse  side  of  the  wrap- 
per which  comes  with  this  book, 
you  will  find  a  wonderful  list  of 
stories  which  you  can  buy  at  the 
same  store  where  you  got  this  book. 

throw  away  the  Wrappet 

Use  it  as  a  handy  catalog  of  the  books 
you  want  some  day  to  have.  ^But  in 
case  you  do  mislay  it,  write  to  the 
'Publishers  for  a  complete  catalog. 


THE  POLLY  BREWSTER  SERIES 

By  LILLIAN  ELIZABETH  ROY 

Durably  Bound.     Illustrated.    Colored  Wrapper*. 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

A  delightful  series  for  girls  in  which  they  will  fol- 
low Polly  and  Eleanor  through  many  interesting 
adventures  and  enjoyable  trips  to  various  places  in 
the  United  States,  Europe  and  South  America. 

POLLY  OF  PEBBLY  PIT 
POLLY  AND  ELEANOR 
POLLY  IN  NEW  YORK 
POLLY  AND  HER  FRIENDS  ABROAD 
POLLY'S  BUSINESS  VENTURE 
POLLY'S  SOUTHERN  CRUISE 
POLLY  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA 
POLLY  IN  THE  SOUTHWEST 
POLLY  IN  ALASKA 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    PUBLISHERS,   NEW  YORK 


GIRL   SCOU1S  SERIES 

By  LILLIAN  ELIZABETH  ROY 
Author  of  the  " Polly  Brewster  Books" 

Handsomely  Bound.    Colored  Wrappers.    Illustrated 
_.  Each  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

Here  is  a  series  that  holds  the  same  position  for  girls  that 
the  Tom  Slade  and  Roy  Blakeley  books  hold  for  boys. 
They  are  delightful  stories  of  Girl  Scout  camp  life  amid 
beautiful  surroundings  and  are  filled  with  stirring  adventures. 
GIRL  SCOUTS  AT  DANDELION  CAMP 

This  is  a  story  which  centers  around  the  making  and  the 
enjoying  of  a  mountain  camp,  spiced  with  the  fun  of  a  lively 
troop  of  Girl  Scouts.  The  charm  of  living  in  the  woods,  of 
learning  woodcraft  of  all  sorts,  of  adventuring  into  the  un- 
known, combine  to  make  a  busy  and  an  exciting  summer 
for  the  girls. 
GIRL  SCOUTS  IN  THE  ADIRONDACKS 

New  scenery,  new  problems  of  camping,  association  with 
a  neighboring  camp  of  Boy  Scouts,  and  a  long  canoe  trip 
with  them  through  the  Fulton  Chain,  all  in  the  setting  of 
the  marvelous  Adirondacks,  bring  to  the  girls  enlargement 
of  horizon,  new  development,  and  new  joys. 
GIRL  SCOUTS  IN  THE  ROCKIES 

On  horseback  from  Denver  through  Estes  Park  as  far  as 
the  Continental  Divide,  climbing  peaks,  riding  wild  trails, 
canoeing  through  canyons,  shooting  rapids,  encountering  a 
landslide,  a  summer  blizzard,  a  sand  storm,  wild  animals, 
and  forest  fires,  the  girls  pack  the  days  full  with  unforget- 
able  experiences. 
GIRL  SCOUTS  IN  ARIZONA  AND  NEW  MEXICO 

The  Girl  Scouts  visit  the  mountains  and  deserts  of  Ari- 
zona and  New  Mexico.    They  travel  over  the  old  Sante  Fe 
trail,  cross  the  Painted  Desert,  and  visit  the  Grand  Canyon, 
Their  exciting  adventures  form  a  most  interesting  story. 
GIRL  SCOUTS  IN  THE  REDWOODS 

The  girls  spend  their  summer  in  the  Redwoods  of  Cali- 
fornia and  incidentally  find  a  way  to  induce  a  famous  mo- 
tion picture  director  in  Hollywood  to  offer  to  produce  a 
film  that  stars  the  Girl  Scouts  of  America. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP.    PUBLISHERS,   NEW  YORK 


THE    LILIAN    GARIS    BOOKS 

Attractively  Bound.  Illustrated.  Individual  Colored  Wrappers. 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

Lilian  Garis  is  one  of  the  writers  who  always  wrote. 
She  expressed  herself  in  verse  from  early  school  days  and 
it  was  then  predicted  that  Lilian  Mack  would  one  day 
become  a  writer.  Justifying  this  sentiment,  while  still  at 
high  school,  she  took  charge  of  the  woman's  page  for  a 
city  paper  and  her  work  there  attracted  such  favorable 
attention  that  she  left  school  to  take  entire  charge  of 
woman's  work  for  the  largest  daily  in  an  important 
Eastern  city. 

Mrs.  Garis  turned  to  girls'  books  directly  after  her 
marriage,  and  of  these  she  has  written  many.  She  believes 
in  girls,  studies  them  and  depicts  them  with  pen  both 
skilled  and  sympathetic. 

CLEG'S  MISTY  RAINBOW 
CLEG'S  CONQUEST 

BARBARA  HALE:  A  DOCTOR'S  DAUGHTER 
BARBARA  HALE  AND  COZETTE 
GLORIA:  A  GIRL  AND  HER  DAD 
GLORIA  AT  BOARDING  SCHOOL 
'JOAN:  JUST  GIRL 
JOAN'S  GARDEN  OF  ADVENTURE 
CONNIE  LORING'S  AMBITION 
CONNIE  LORING'S  DILEMMA 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,    Publishers,    NEW  YORK 


AMY  BELL  MARLOWE'S  BOOKS 
FOR  GIRLS 

Charming,  Fresh  and  Original  Storiea 

Illastrated.  Wrapper*  Printed  in  Colon  with  individual  design  for  each  story 

Miss  Marlowe's  books  for  girls  are  somewhat  of  the 
type  of  Miss  Alcott  and  also  Mrs.  Meade ;  but  all  are 
thoroughly  up-to-date  and  wholly  American  in  scene 
and  action.  Good,  clean  absorbing  tales  that  all  girls 
thoroughly  enjoy. 

THE  OLDEST  OF  FOUR  ;  Or,  Natalie's  Way  Out. 

A  sweet  story  of  the  struggles  of  a  live  girl  to  keep  a  family  from  want. 

THE  GIRLS  AT  HILLCREST  FARM  ;  Or,  The  Secret  of  the  Rock.. 

Relating  the  trials  of  two  girls  who  take  boarders  on  an  old  farm. 

A  LITTLE  MISS  NOBODT ;  Or,  With  the  Girls  of  Pinewood  Hall. 

Tells  of  a  school  girl  who  was  literally  a  nobody  until  she  solved  the 
mystery  of  her  identity. 

THE  GIRL  FROM  SUNSET  RANCH  ;  Or,  Alone  in  a  Great  City. 

A  ranch  girl  comes  to  New  York  to  meet  relatives  she  has  never  seen. 

Her  adventures  make  unusually  good  reading. 

WYN'S  CAMPING  DAYS  ;  Or,  The  Outing  of  the  GO-AHEAD  CLUB. 

A  tale  of  happy  days  on  the  water  and  under  canvas,  with  a  touch  of 
mystery  and  considerable  excitement. 

FRANCES  OF  THE  RANGES  ;  Or,  The  Old  Ranchman's  Treasure. 

A  vivid  picture  of  life  on  the  great  cattle  ranges  of  the  West. 

THE  GIRLS  OF  RIVERCLIFF  SCHOOL ;  Or,  Beth  Baldwin's  Resolve. 

This  Is  one  of  the  most  entertaining  stories  centering  about  a  girl'« 
school  that  has  ever  been  written. 

WHEN  ORIOLE  CAME  TO  HARBOR  LIGHT. 

The  story  of  a  young  girl,  cast  up  by  the  sea,  and  rescued  by  an  old 
lighthouse  keeper. 

WHEN  ORIOLE  TRAVELED  WESTWARD. 

Oriole  visits  the  family  of  a  rich  ranchman  and  enjoys  herself  Immensely. 

WHEN  ORIOLE  WENT  TO  BOARDING  SCHOOL. 

How  this  brave  girl  bears  up  under  the  most  trying  experiences,  make, 
a  very  interesting  story. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,   Publishers,  NEW  YORK 


THE  BLYTHE  GIRLS  BOOKS 

By  LAURA  LEE  HOPE 

Individual  Colored  Wrappers  and  Text  Illustrations  by 

THELMA  GOOCH 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself 

The  Blythe  girls,  three  in  number,  were  left  alone  in 
New  York  City.  Helen,  who  went  in  for  art  and  mu- 
sic, kept  the  little  fiat  uptown,  while  Margy,  just  out 
of  a  business  school,  obtained  a  position  as  a  private 
secretary  and  Rose,  plain-spoken  and  businesslike,  took 
what  she  called  a  "job"  in  a  department  store. 

THE  BLYTKE  GIRLS :  HELEN,  MARGY  AND  ROSE 

A  fascinating  tale  of  real  happenings  in  the  great  metropolis 

THE  BLYTHE  GIRLS :  MARGY'S  QUEER  INHERITANCE 

The  Girls  had  a  peculiar  old  aunt  and  when  she  died  she  left 
an  unusual  inheritance. 

THE  BLYTHE  GIRLS:  ROSE'S  GREAT  PROBLEM 

Rose,  still  at  work  in  the  big  department  store,  is  one  day  faced 
with  the  greatest  problem  of  her  life. 

THE  BLYTHE  GIRLS :  HELEN'S  STRANGE  BOARDER 

Helen  goes  to  the  assistance  of  a  strange  girl,  whose  real  iden- 
tity is  a  puzzle.  Who  the  girl  really  was  comes  as  a  tremendous 
su  prise. 

THE  BLYTHE  GIRLS :  THREE  ON  A  VACATION 

The  girls  go  ip  the  country  for  two  weeks — and  fall  in  with  all 
sorts  of  curious  and  exciting  happenings. 

THE  BLYTHE  GIRLS:  MARGY'S  SECRET  MISSION 

Of  course  we  cannot  divulge  the  big  secret,  but  nevertheless 
the  girls  as  usual  have  many  exciting  experiences. 

THE  BLYTHE  GIRLS:  ROSE'S  ODD  DISCOVERY 

A  very  interesting  story,  telling  how  Rose  aided  an  old  man  in 
the  almost  hopeless  search  for  his  daughter. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,   NEW  YORK 


CAROLYN    WELLS    BOOKS 

Attractively  Bound.     Illustrated.     Colored  Wrapper*. 

"THE  MARJORIE  BOOKS 

Marjorie  is  a  happy  little  girl  of  twelve,  up  to 
mischief,  but  full  of  goodness  and  sincerity.  In  her 
>and  her  friends  every  girl  reader  will  see  much  of 
her  own  love  of  fun,  play  and  adventure. 
MARJORIE'S  VACATION 
MARJORIE'S  BUSY  DAYS 
MARJORIE'S  NEW  FRIEND 
MARTORIE  IN  COMMAND 
MARJORIE'S  MAYTIME 
MARJORIE  AT  SEACOTE 

THE  TWO  LITTLE  WOMEN  SERIES 

Introducing  Dorinda  Fayre— a  pretty  blonde, 
sweet,  serious,  timid  and  a  little  slow,  and  Dorothy 
Rose — a  sparkling  brunette,  quick,  elf-like,  high 
tempered,  full  of  mischief  and  always  getting  into 
scrapes. 

TWO  LITTLE  WOMEN 
TWO  LITTLE  WOMEN  AND  TREASU*£USE 

TWO  LITTLE  WOMEN  ON  A  HOLIDAY 
THE  DICK  AND  DOLLY  -BOOKS 

Dick  and  Dolly  are  brother  and  sister,  and  their 
games,  their  pranks,  their  joys  and  sorrows  are  told 
in  a  manner  which  makes  the  stones    really  t 
to  young  readers. 


SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  SERIES 

By  LAURA  LEE  HOPE 

Author  of  The  Bobbsey  Twins  Books,  The  Bunny 
Brown  Series,  The  Blythe  Girls  Books,  Etc. 

Durably   Bound.       Illustrated.       Uniform    Style    of   Binding. 
Every  Volume  Complete  in  Itself. 

Delightful  stories  for  little  boys  and  girls  which  sprung 
into  immediate  popularity.  To  know  the  six  little  Bunkers 
is  to  take  them  at  once  to  your  heart,  they  are  so  intensely 
human,  so  full  of  fun  and  cute  sayings.  Each  story  has  a 
little  plot  of  its  own — one  that  can  be  easily  followed — and 
all  are  written  in  Miss  Hope's  most  entertaining  manner. 
Clean,  wholesome  volumes  which  ought  to  be  on  the  book- 
shelf of  every  child  in  the  land. 

SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  GRANDMA  BELL'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  AUNT  JO'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  COUSIN  TOM'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  GRANDPA  FORD'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  UNCLE  FRED'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  CAPTAIN  BEN'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  COWBOY  JACK'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  MAMMY  JUNE'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  FARMER  JOEL'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  MILLER  NED'S 
SIX  LITTLE  BUNKERS  AT  INDIAN  JOHN'S 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,          PUBLISHERS,          NEW  YORK 


uc  so/new  NEOONN.  uvwm  noun 


A    000050927    3 


